Legend of Zelda: Army of Chaos
by Keijiro Mishima
Summary: 5 years after the defeat of Ganondorf, the Twilight Realm is destroyed and Midna was forced back into the Light. She warns Hyrule of the Army of Chaos, a force from a third realm. Link must gain the help of new allies to defeat an unstoppable army.
1. Twilight Midnight

She felt it, that same feeling she felt long ago, the time of her childhood. That sense of horror, a flood of destruction and power crashing down within one's mind. Most were blind to it, but she had the ability to see it, feel it, fear it, hate it. Her left hand smashing against the stone wall, knocking against the walls to relieve the pain. Her right hand gripping a blade, which was for a last resort, and only last.

The thoughts of her people suffering hazed her memory. The black flames covering the city, a reminder of the power of the enemy. Her mind rolled back in time, remembering the days of adventure, the days she fought to end. On top of the back of a beast, a beast her self in the form of an imp. She rode through the realm of the light to save her own, only years later, to have it all fall again. But this was different, it was not her throne they were after. They were after everything, the thrill of battle, the war, the fight, the chaos.

Did she fight for it all to crumble again under the hands of a more powerful enemy. Reluctantly looking up to see the carnage plaguing her world. It hurt, the pain of having to take in every detail of the suffering under her. The people she fought to win back, the people she fought to protect, and the people she stood back and watched be slaughtered like pigs.

Not only did the sight ruin her, but the sounds were enough to break the strongest souls. Screams, pure shrieks of pain and murder, blended with the war cry of victory. It took her entire being to prevent herself from going down into the field and fighting alone. Even with her true form, the beautiful figure and form by the standards of both realms, and the power only her family held knowledge of, she was useless.

She turned away from the window, putting her back to the elegant collage of green, red, and purple. The luminous darkness which surrounded their realm separated around her sole window as it glowed with a perfectly natural aura. With only a few steps and fist crashing down, she came to the wooden desk in front of her. Papers, scrolls, ancient texts, all of them useless, each only stating the obvious. That one key phrase each and everyone of them repeated.

The Army of Chaos, is infinite, eternal, divine, and unstoppable.

She cursed the ancients for praising the death bringers. There were no facts on them, just the repeated myths in all sources. The children of a goddess, an unstoppable force, nothing to halt their reign. Frantic eyes flipped through pages searching for a small detail, a missing link to her success. In a matter of seconds, the front and back covers were placed on both sides of the pages, and no secret was found.

"Princess, Princess Midna!" A voice shouted from outside her door. She quickly dashed to it and opened it, gripping the iron handles. Using the power of her family, she fueled it with emotion and accidentally ripped the door off its hinges. Flinging a massive piece of scrap wood into the wall. But neither had time to worry of such minor detail. Her rage was obvious, and even though the soldier was doing what he was intended to do, he was sure to face the Twilight Princess's wrath.

"What the hell do you want?!" She shouted back, anger and sorrow within her eyes. As a soldier of the Twilight, it was within his mind and soul to fear the power of the Royal Family. His face was laid out with fear, but the armor which covered all of them loyal knights hid all expression. A mask that resembled the beasts of the shadows, a reminder to the hardship the people worked through under the rule of Zant years ago.

The soldier stood straight on impulse in a split second, every second wasted was another of his friends and comrades being slain. Midna waited for an answer impatiently, being in the same position as the young soldier, people dying as long as time continued to flow. Even though it was a fraction of a second, that small waste of time seemed to end the world.

"You have to escape, Princess Midna." The soldier reached forward and stepped in a different direction simultaneously. His grip came across nothing as Midna moved back, determination and shame clouding her decision. The soldier looked back in surprise as she made a hasty decision, surprising him and in his opinion, dooming the kingdom. He continued to persuade her. "You have to survive, we can't fight them. If you die the kingdom is gone with you."

He persisted hoping she'd understand his reasoning. The look in her eyes butchered his hopes, he knew the princess and wondered why he tried. She was persistent, determined, but this often came across as being stubborn and rude. He knew that unless she agreed to leave on her own, they'd stay within the castle even as the enemy stormed inside. That was the proud princess he served.

"Without my people there will be no kingdom." Midna backed away from the soldier and turned around. Walking towards her books and sword which hung from the tables edge. The soldier pulled off his mask, exposing his light blue skin, pointed nose, and yellow eyes. It wouldn't change anything, he was a knight without a helm. Doomed to protect a princess of a doomed empire, to him it was the end of the world. But another word from Midna pushed away these thoughts. "Is the Temple of Darkness gone?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Midna's voice was stern and professional, even in this time of crisis. The soldier's vocals wavered at the mentioning of the forsaken ground. An alternate of the Temple of Time, within the back of the building was an area in which none were permitted to enter, or even go near. Midna was there once, her first experience feeling the darkness that surged from within the back. Her father told her that it was something forsaken by the guardians of the Light, and uncontrollable by the Dark. But the Young Man didn't know that.

"Leave me, go. Run away and survive, live a life away from here, happy and safe. Or stay and fight for the people you love, and die with a sword in hand." Midna said giving the soldier an option to live or die. There was an actual moment of silence between them, she grew angry wondering why he hasn't made the decision. She twirled around about to shout, until her eyes came to his back. Helm on top of his face and sword in hand, running down the all and out into the courtyard. He ran to battle, he ran to death, but to him, he ran to honor.

"Idiot."

She mumbled backing away from the open section of the front of her room. Losing hope and wishing this was a dream. She walked back to the window and looked outside, pressing her back against the corner. During her adventure, she realized the Twilight Realm, was a mirror image of the Light. But the difference being, they had the beauty of mysterious black light. It did not rise with the sun, or fall with the moon, it radiated within the very essence of the land.

She was forced to face a brutal, harsh truth. One that would start the fall of everything else, a truth that would spread throughout all the Realms. Be it Light, Dark, Twilight, or anything else, they will learn that Chaos conquers all. But a small hint of joy spread across her face in the form of a minor smile.

Before she left her second home, the Realm of Light and it's people. She shattered the mirror that created the bridge between them, a painful choice to make. But one that was made to prevent disasters such as these from spreading. In the end, she lost it all. Her people, her friends, her kingdom, everything she fought Zant and Ganondorf for.

But in return for her sacrifice, she saved the people of the Light. Link and Zelda were protected from a menace that will be trapped within the Darkness forever. Her smiled slowly lowered as the noise slowly became silenced. The screams of her people slowly leaving existence, their final calls for help being muffled by the blades of enemies. Women, children, elderly, sick, wounded, soldiers, nothing was left in the end. Only the echo of marching metal boots clanking against the ground in succession.

An entire army of knights, black knights carrying large broadswords and shields in the shape of flames. The tip of the shield, as sharp as the blade itself they all wielded. They marched into royal property, stopping to see a lone soldier standing in front. The Young Man that honored the princess by dying in battle. If she was to die with her kingdom, he shall die in glory so all may know that the Twilight Knights will fight for honor against all odds. With a long sword in his right hand and a shield in his left, he raised them both and placed his self in traditional battle stances.

All sense of fear and survival are gone, his only thought was glory for his princess. He stood quiet as the entire army stood in front of him, a wall of black armor resembling bones. He realized something strange, the soldiers in the back of the section in front of him were shifting to the side. Creating a walkway for some one else, but the foolish yet brave knight stood in wait of his opponent.

The two black knights in front of him stepped to the side, and he saw the leader of it all. He wore no helm, no armor above his waist, not even a gauntlet to protect his hands. He stood in front of the Young Soldier naked from the waist up, except for the man-sized sword in his right hand. The markings on the blade leading down to an eye at the bottom of the blade. The red pupil was locked within the blade and it shifted around, examining the surroundings. Until it's erratic gaze landed upon the sole challenger to the Army of Chaos.

"Is it that you challenge me, warrior?"

"I will kill you!"

The larger man's voice held a demonic deep tone. His skin being a light brown expressing every massive muscle within his giant frame. His jet black hair dropped over his face hiding his ruby pupils, but exposing rare glimpses of them. The brave warrior leapt forward, sword raised and shouting to put his entire soul into the swing. Midna watched from atop the castle. Noting that his exact attack, was a exact copy of a certain warrior she fought with. But this did not raise her hopes, because that Young Man was only an average warrior.

The massive man grinned and tightened his grip on his weapon. Twisting his wrist, hips and legs at the same time. He brought up the weapon and the tip sank into the flesh of the Young Knight. The weapon dragged across his chest, and a red stream flowed out. The dead Knight was flung into a garden patch and laid there motionless. From one shoulder to the other was a wound that would bring down the greatest of warriors.

"You should've escaped, it would have saved at least one of us." A voice from behind Midna said, an elderly voice in their native tongue. Midna sighed hoping that they would have left already. But her hopes were crushed and they were to die next to her. The sages of the Twilight stood behind her, all their fixed stares upon her. She stood in front of the window in silence, they already knew why she didn't leave.

"You read the script, they are unstoppable."

"You are a foolish ruler, a princess of the damned."

"You have done nothing for our people, besides kill them all."

The sages of the Twilight said, insulting Midna. She stood silent ignoring them, staring down at the leader of the Army of Chaos. What kept her attention was the horrific fact, that his red eyes were looking directly at her also. The Sages were intelligent, powerful, and wise, but they knew nothing of Midna's personality. Nor did they understand the skill of the Army of Chaos.

She stared at him directly not letting a sound escape her lips, preventing emotion from distorting her face. The Man stood within the Royal Garden and smiled, his fanged teeth being another weapon on him. He raised one hand slowly and pointed it towards her, ready to speak.

"Is this all you have for me, surely there is another within your ranks. Or have I murdered them all?"

He said wanting to draw upon her anger, and in every way did he succeed. Using the power of her family, Midna dived out her window passing through the shattered glass. Her yellow and orange hair formed into a massive spear and lunged forward, speeding directly towards the him. With the slightest ease, he side-stepped avoiding the spear and grabbed Midna's hair. And with little difficulty, he pulled her directly from the black Twilit sky and sent her crashing down into the stone walkway. She pulled herself up slowly, still gripping the sword in her right.

She got onto her knees and waited for a second, forming a plan in her mind. She had to consider the situation of him still holding her main weapon, and the sword in hand. A idea came to mind, but with a man of his power, it was risky, suicide almost. But it had to work, it must work.

She formed her hair into two separate hands, one grabbing his left, and the other holding his right. With all of the force within her body, she jumped forward performing a stabbing motion directly at his heart. She was only milliseconds away from what she thought would end is his life, cold steel piercing through his vitals. But in that miniscule time, a coat of armor grew around his skin, starting at the very point where she needed to hit.

With a loud snapping sound and a spark, she dropped to the ground landing on her backside. A princess covered in sweat on the ground between two pieces of a shattered blade, and before her, a slayer of her people. Her breath was lost, and her arm ached from the impact. But a large hand gripping her throat lifted her into the air and held her there. Midna's feet dangled in the air, powerless to stop him from killing her.

"I know of your journey into the Light, you defeated Zant and Ganondorf with the Hero. Tell me how to enter the Realm of Light so I can test their power. If you do this, I'll bring back all of your people, even the stupid soul I killed here."

But killing Midna was not his plan, he needed her to live for a little longer. He was not a man of pure evil, he would keep his word and resurrect her kingdom. But only if Midna was willing to sacrifice the people that helped her. A cruel smile grew on the Twilight Princess, knowing that his request was impossible. With a slight struggle to escape, and the tightening of his grip, she told him with an evil laugh.

"Too late, I shattered the Mirror of Twilight within the Light Realm. You'll be trapped here, you damn idiot." She was ready to die knowing that she put him in a hole, he'll never climb out of. The hate in his eyes was obvious, and the blow he delivered was painful. A straight jab into her stomach, it sent her flying backwards and onto the ground, holding herself in pain. He pulled the sword out of the ground and walked towards her, ready to end the royal lineage.

But his eyes saw nine figures behind her, attempting to bring Midna to her feat. Nine shadowy figures, covered in royal garments from head to toe, only the bright yellow eyes were visible. The black clothing and amount of them made it obvious that they were the nine sacred sages of the Twilight. His cruel and evil laughter shook the ground, and the stones under him either cracked and exploded into tiny shards, or were lifted into the air and levitated.

He thrust out one palm and the sages were trapped inside of a red field. A ruby in the shape of a diamond triangle surrounded each and every one of them, except for the injured princess. His eyes narrowed as he watched all of them bang against the wall in an attempt to escape, no form of magic was effective inside those fields. He succeeded, continuing to howl in laughter as he lifted the sages off the ground and left them hovering in the air.

"You fools, you have betrayed your queen by letting your emotions control you. I'm sorry to tell you this princess, but I have won!" He said looking into the sky at his captives, each and every one of them locked within a death trap. The cages twirled in the air forming a ring that would create a gate to the Realm of Light. But he needed to finish the process, the last step would be killing the sages. He closed his open hand, tightening his fist and the cages they were in instantly condensed. Blood sprayed out from within them and rained down upon Midna, covered in the blood of her people. She failed, even with the destruction of the Mirror of Twilight, she only saved her friends for a few years.

On both knees she leaned over and punched the ground, accepting death, wanting to die. But again, her enemy decided against her plan, he walked towards Midna and opened his hands in front of her face. The red blood staining his hands directly in her face, a mark of her greatest fault, her inability to protect others. Midna waited for the slow and painful death she deserved, but instead she was encased in the same pyramid prison that the sages were.

"Go to the Realm of Light, and warn them of us. We shall descend upon their land soon, and you shall have their army ready. Tell them, the Army of Chaos is coming, and we come with death on our blade." He said and placed his hand on her cage, it slowly lifted off the ground. Sending her into the Realm of Light once again, while rising into the sky. She felt dead inside, her people were dead, she didn't die with her kingdom, and now she had to tell Zelda and Link of her failure. Because of the Twilight realm being a mirror image of the Light, she'd land directly within the courtyard of Hyrule Castle.

Above her was a swirling vortex, less of a portal and more of a spinning distortion in space. The red color, an exact copy of the Sage's blood made it even worse for her to enter through. But even her power was rendered null within the triangular prison. In silence she rose into the Invasion Gate and entered into the Realm of Light. Once Midna was out of sight, the King of Chaos spun around instantly and began demanding orders.

"Before we invade the Light, we must find my sons and brothers. They will help us conquer my mother's legacy, the Triforce." He said beginning a search through out the Realm of Twilight. His determination burning as brightly as his hatred for his mother's power. The King of Chaos was a true divine being, his only weakness, was that he can die.

(A/N Thank you for reading my latest and probably best story. Please Review and tell me if I should change the rating to M. Also in your opinion, tell me which title is better, "Army of Chaos" or "Children of Chaos" Thanks)

Updated: 7/9/08- Changed around some of the spacing within the chapter. That's about it.


	2. Light in Danger

"I guess I've passed my prime." A man said with a slight smile as he laid against the floor. Trying to sit up and use his blade as a prop, to support his aching body. The hard floor he landed on was made of stone, shaped and formed into an elevated circle for two people to duel in. Under the ceiling made of straw and wood, he looked up at the face that defeated him. A friendly man who recently became Ordon village's Master Swordsman, his blond hair, green clothes, and legendary sword. The Hero of Hyrule living an average and simple life within the village.

"No you haven't, Rusl. I've just gotten stronger." He said with the innocent smile he wore ever since he became an average person, once again. Link, the Hero of Hyrule and descendant to the greatest heroes of all time. It was in their lineage to have a destiny that followed greatness. But some one of his status couldn't simply hide from the world, he still leaves and runs out into the larger world, saving the good people, and slaying the foul. It kept him in shape, and his abilities stood at their peak, even after the Twilight monsters disappeared.

"Your a hero, Link. I may have helped you within the castle, but that was as far as I could've went."

"I could've used your help, their were monsters that I had trouble handling." Link said as a light-hearted joke, his happy life displayed through his manners and expressions. He leaned over slightly and extended his left hand, offering his teacher a lift. Rusl accepted and clapped Link's hand with his right, but wasn't expecting the sudden jump he was going to get. A demonstration of how physically strong Link became, like Rusl, Link was in his best condition and would remain this way for years to come.

Rusl was pulled on to his feet and patted Link on the back. A sign of friendship, but the silence meant something else, Link instantly understood. Even though his teacher could still swing a sword with the ability to battle a Hyrule Guard, Link was the only one able to fall a monster of massive size. The pat on the back was a passing of obligation and duty to protect Ordon village. And in Link's case alone, soon to be the entirety of Hyrule's empire.

"Don't say that, you know the kingdom is expanding. Because of you, Princess Zelda has forged alliances with the Zora, Goron, and Ordon village has grown." Rusl said telling Link of what he did for the entire Kingdom. The territory of Hyrule village has expanded, the Zora, Goron, and Hyrule citizens have formed a council, to govern the expanding kingdom with the help of Princess Zelda. Even Ordon village itself grew, the Ordon spring was know in the center of a town, a beautiful place. All of the houses and stores kept the traditional Ordon structure, made of wood and other objects. It became a safe-haven and place of peace for all.

There was even a small militia made to protect the peaceful village, young men pulling up swords to battle if it was ever needed. They were the police and military of the village, one of their most expected and often 'visitors' was Talo. Constantly finding new ways to get into trouble, he's upgraded from using a basic slingshot to a custom version using a glass scope. And a gear system able to put his small metal beads into wood if he tried hard enough.

It was only a few years and so much has changed, Link his self even grew physically and mentally. Now in his early twenties, Link's average build has grown to hold thick muscles which seemed small at first. His facial features matured slightly, and his dirty blond hair now reaching the center of his neck. Rusl envied Link's perfect physical status, his blond hair began to gray in the front and he was slowing down even slightly.

"Where's Colin?" Link asked about Rusl's now young teenage son, the timid swordsman, Colin. Ever since Link returned to the village, Colin trained harder and harder to become a good swordsman. It was to the point where the young boy became one of the best warriors in the Ordon Guard, and the youngest. He was still timid, his shy posture and quiet voice never left him through the years. But with a sword in hand, he became a fearless soldier, it was as if he would fight Link, if the hero ever turned against the village. The fight was suicide to most, but Colin had the ability to build up his hidden courage and fight.

Rusl's face turned a slight shade of red and he began to scratch his cheek. Nervous, and embarrassed, Link instantly understood what made the man so quiet. Recently, Colin and the daughter of the general store owner, Beth. Began dating, they'd occasionally be seen talking to each other once Colin was finished training. Link laughed quietly and it only turned the old man's face a deeper shade of red.

They walked out of the House of the Ordon Guards training room and exited the building. A straight walk through the building, and out into the open air of the village. Directly in front of them, the Ordon spring in all of its glory. A mystical glow radiated from it, only Link knew that the shining aura was an ability of the Light Spirits, preventing the darkness from overcoming the Light. And directly in front of the spring, standing on the stone path. Was Ilia, her figure began to fill out and she was quickly becoming one of the most beautiful women in Hyrule. She is also a good friend of Link's and some of the villagers gossip of a non-existent relationship between the two.

"Hey, Link. Guess what today is?" She said in a happy tone, it brought a warm feeling to everyone but left Link confused. He never forgot anything, her birthday passed a while ago, and there was nothing special about today. To him, it was another beautiful day within his life. But as he looked around, he began to notice all the villagers looking at him with a big smile. He was sure there was something he forgot, a special event that centered around him. Ilia and Rusl thought it was sad that Link forgot such a special occasion and decided to just remind him.

Rusl leaned over and hit Link hard on the back with an open hand. He grabbed his shoulder and pulled Link over whispering into his ear what was going on. Link looked down in a slight amount of shame as Rusl told him.

"Isn't today the day you saved Hyrule." As soon as the words left Rusl lips, a giant banner rolled down from a top the Ordon Guard House. The giant words of congratulations written across the banner made the crowd cheer in thanks. It was a holiday only celebrated in Ordon, they'd give thanks to Link for saving them by holding a day of no worries, work, and full with parties and fun. It was the ideal vacation, every one was happy, it seemed like a dream. The joy felt by every one made the world so much brighter, even the shaman of Kakariko village came down to celebrate the day.

All that joy within a small village, as an entire realm was tossed into the flames of Chaos. Midna descended through the sky, sitting on her thighs using her hands to hold her balance. She stared in silence as she descended into the Hyrule courtyard, guards began to surround where she was going to land. There weapons drawn ready to face an adversary they were no match against. Midna could easily pierce them through with her power, but Hyrule needed as many soldiers as they could use.

Her home was gone, she had to accept that fact. But there was a hope to save this one, even though her kind was banished from this realm. she was the only survivor, and her power allowed her to survive in the light, her stay in this realm was destined. She looked down towards the ground and noticed that she was almost to the stone pathway. Reluctantly, she raised to her feet, ignoring the still aching pain within her stomach. Holding the regal posture all royalty was trained and expected to have, she descended down to the ground in a pyramid prison colored the same shade of blood.

What was she to say to Zelda, or Link for that matter. How do you tell one bad news of an invasion, when you haven't seen your friends for years. She was sure they'd hate her, Link would forsake their friendship, because of how she ended everything. In a feeble attempt to prevent further destruction, she sealed off their worlds. And now she returns with another failure in mind.

The pyramid landed on the ground and broke apart, shattering like glass but each piece disappeared into the light. Midna stood before the guards as they stared in awe, a beauty exceeding Zelda on all standards. She was used to this type of look, but the situation called for men without her looks on their mind.

"I need to speak to Princess Zelda."

"Follow me, ma'am."

Midna looked into the face of a young soldier, his light blonde hair and innocent facial features. But he still held the eyes of a courageous person willing to die for a cause. His face brought back memories of a soldier that died protecting her, a proud young Twili, that was cut down by the King of Chaos. The thoughts of the same fate happening to this soldier seemed horrific, but it was highly possible.

The man walked in front of Midna as they entered the main chamber of Hyrule. The knight attempted to give Midna a tour of the castle, not knowing that she's seen the entire thing. And helped defeat Ganondorf on the top floor of the entire castle, but in reality, he knew who Midna was. But the poor soldier was attempting to show off for the beautiful women.

"Aren't you Princess Midna." The soldier asked looking back at her, they began to walk up stairs that spiraled within a tower. A quick way to the top of the entire castle, and to the throne where Princess Zelda was most often seen. Midna winced at the thought of some one calling her princess again, it was a painful thought. She was even going up to Zelda, with her royal garments soiled in dirt to tell her of an army. With a sigh she continued the conversation.

"Yes, I am."

"Did you really fight against Ganondorf, the Dark Lord. I was only a new recruit at the time, and I was posted at the West gate to fight the bulblins."

"I don't want to about it."

"Oh, well do you mind telling me what the Twilight Realm is like." The soldier tried to hold an interesting conversation in which she was comfortable with, but he chose the wrong topic. The memory of the Twilight Realm plagued Midna's mind, and she opened a Twilight Portal within the wall and stepped through it, closing the rift in space behind her. The soldier continued to walk until he looked back realizing she was gone.

The same portal opened on the ground in front of Zelda's throne, and in response she was ready to protect her self. Zelda reached over and drew the fencing sword from the arm rest in her chair and stood up, every guard doing the same. Their spears pointing towards the Twilight Gate, most of the soldiers were veterans. They all knew what to expect in this situation. As small pieces of the Twilight Princess floated up from the black hole and began forming her body, the soldiers lowered their weapons as Zelda dropped her sword.

She stared in silence as Midna stood in front of her, the blood of one of her loyal soldiers, splattered on the Twilight Princess's arm. A rip in the shirt where the King of Chaos delivered a painful blow to her stomach. A royal wreck standing in front of an honored princess, the silence was a stab into Midna's heart. But she had to get this over with, her body ached and she was tired, hungry, and the stress of what happened only a few hours ago put a heavy weight on her shoulders.

"Midna... how... the Mirror, you shattered it." Zelda began to say in shock, Midna knew this was going to be the response. But now wasn't the time to talk about their simple lives. At the moment, she had to warn the entire Kingdom of a coming threat that was not going to stop until everything is gone.

"It doesn't matter know, there is a problem. An army is coming to destroy Hyrule, and you need to be prepared for win they come, which will be soon."

"How do you know, what... what happened to the Twilight Realm?" Zelda asked a question that took away Midna's breath and caused an ache in her heart. The screams of her people being slaughtered, as an army of dark knights marched through the streets. Spears and swords cutting down the few Twilit soldiers that were ready when the surprise attack began, an ambush that wreaked havoc. The Twilight Princess had one answer, the truth, the painful truth.

"Dead, everyone. The Army of Chaos killed them all, and I won't let it happen here."

"I'm sorry. General, go and tell the soldiers to organize in the courtyards now, I don't care how just do it." Zelda demanded the high ranking soldier to spring into action, and he did quickly. With loud clanking metal boots, he jogged out of the throne and ran down the stairs shouting. Midna looked around the area and remembered the two final battles they had together were here, this was the area in which Link had to fight Zelda, possessed by Ganondorf alone. And the same place in which Ganondorf became Ganon, his second form, and where Midna lost against his godly shape. Another failure, another scar on her life.

"Midna, tell me what happened."

"They came suddenly, and destroyed everything. There is nothing to tell besides they have created a gate into this world by sacrificing our sages. They will do the same here, if they win."

"Don't worry, our army will handle everything."

"No, they won't. We need him again."

Both of the Princess's knew who Midna was referring to, and it was a hard thing to agree with. After defeating Ganondorf, Zelda told Link that he was leave all the major problems of Hyrule to her, as a way to repay the debt of him saving her. Now they'd have to go back to him, and recruit him into the army. Both women hoped Link would deny their offer and stay in Ordon, but only because they didn't want to drag him into more trouble. But the truth was that the world needed him once again, just like how the world needed his ancestors before him.

"Zelda, let's go. He's in Ordon village, we will go by horse. I'm too tired to use my Twilight power now."

And with that, Zelda stood up and walked down to Midna. As they left to find Link once again, on the day he saved Hyrule, it was the same day they'd ask him to perform another miracle. But this was on a different scale than his previous journey, before it was only an adventure across the land but now. It was a full-scale war, and Link would have to work next to the soldiers of Hyrule and fight in battles.

Zelda was on top of her personal white steed, as Midna rode the black horse. They traveled across Hyrule field, towards Ordon village. But as the events in the Light Realm proceeded, within the Twilight Realm, the King of Chaos stood before a massive structure. A building, sealed closed by chains, enchanted by the Twilit Royal families secrets, making them indestructible. But inside the building, he felt the powerful energy which reminded him of his self. The power of Chaos, a raging mass of pure strength which could form in multiple ways.

But he came across a problem, the doors were sealed by an ancient power. The only key to his goals was the blood of the Hero, something he didn't have. A black orb of power built within his hand and he pushed forward, sending the blast toward the building. And like the rest of his attempts, the attack was blocked by a strange wall, created by the Twilight, blue lines marking the air in which the wall defended the building. The entire army attempted to break down the wall, but it was one of the few things he couldn't overcome.

He knew the Hero was in the Light Realm, but it would have to wait. Only a few of his brothers have been found a brought to life. Living, walking, masses of Chaos energy that would soon descend upon Hyrule with great power. He looked back and saw one of his brethren standing behind him, and instantly recognized one his youngest brother, Ruin. A tall thin man with jet black skin, his dark blue eyes were hidden within his skin color, and the spear next to him was forged of bone. A vest and pants made of leather were the only clothes he wore and his hair was tied back, behind his head.

"Brother Ruin, when we are all together. We shall descend upon Hyrule, and claim what was rightfully ours."

"Mother gave the Hylians what was rightfully ours, and we shall take it back.

The two Lords of Chaos said to each other, their voices seeming demonic in every way. They were feared and respected, powerful and divine, cruel and malicious. As powerful as the two were, there was still a number of them to return from their graves and display their strength to the Light Realm.


	3. Soul Devourer: Abyss

I'd like to make a few character changes public here, this story is set a five years after Twilight Princess. Which means some people have changed, even if slightly. There's more but these are the characters which I've put out now.

Zelda has become more of an official person than a perfect and nice princess. It may make her seem a little like a bitch at times, but we all know people like that so, eh.

Link has grown up more, and is no longer the silent always happy-to-help person. He's grown a more distinct personality that's a little tougher on other people.

Midna has gone into something of an inferiority complex. After watching her people die and being defeated, she starts to believe she's useless and a failure.

This is off topic, but I noticed that Zelda rarely gets a lot of screen time in any game. She's usually locked away in some dungeon or pretending to be some one else and only shows up for at most 10 minutes all together. Or is it just me?

* * *

The joyous party continued, an entire village ignoring the troubles of the outside world. Not a single being, Zora, Goron, human, or Hylian, within Ordon village had a worry within their minds. Link's personal holiday, the only day in which everything in Ordon stopped. The halt in work represented Link stopping the end of Hyrule, a strange representation made for celebration. Even though the lousy farmer, Fado did little to support his own ranch. On this certain day, he slaughtered his best Ordonian Goats, usually the larger males, and served them to the entire village for free.

Tables were positioned in rings surrounding the Ordon Spring, once the tables were full, people made the decision of standing or relaxing within the neighboring restaurants and inns. Link and Ilia sat on the edge of the bridge, which arched over the waterfall at the end of the spring. The clear blue water rushing under them and into the spring, it was a perfect sight. Link tilted his head back and closed his eyes, letting the environment relax his muscles which were tense after his training with Rusl.

"I remember, back five years ago. You would wake up early in the morning just to simply go help Fado control his goats, but all of that changed in a few days. One day, you came to us and said that you would have to leave, you said there was something you had to do. None of us figured it was saving the world, even Rusl realized something was wrong, and left to join a group fighting against whatever was hurting the world." Ilia said, her voice sounded like something else was hidden in her words. Link listened intently, a worry that he had done something wrong to her crossing his mind. But even though something troubled her, it was not the tone which was heard when she was hurt.

"I remember you being mad at me for hurting Epona, even though it was the smallest of scratches." Link said as a joke. The smile that appeared on her face meant it did what it was supposed to. With a chuckle, he continued. "You still do." He said and they laughed together. An innocent affection between the two was obvious to all, and each other.

"I'm just trying to say, thank you. Every time I see you, I always wonder what would happen if you didn't save the world, or if you never came back." She said, lowering her gentle hands onto her lap and tightening them. Link knew her so well, he understood that the certain movement was a way of expressing a confusing emotion, a mix between anger, stress, and worry.

"Don't worry about those things, everything is fine now." Link said as he leaned over and bumped Ilia's shoulder. She returned the playful gesture, and a flirtatious game of pushing started between the two. It didn't continue long, a worried Rusl quietly and secretly walked up behind Link. The previous Sword Master of the village leaned over and whispered in the Hero's ear.

"Link, stay calm. Turn around like your looking at me, but look over my shoulder." Rusl whispered seriously. He saw something in the sky, and because he lacked the knowledge Link had on these things. He went to the person that would be able to tell him, or at least know when to worry. Link listened and obeyed, holding the same smile he had with Ilia, his head turned away from the crowd and towards Rusl. But his eyes directed themselves past the aging man, and towards an enigma in the sky. His mouth remained in the grinning position, but his eyes grew wide, what he saw resembled something he would be used to seeing five years ago.

Unlike the portals of the Twilight Realm, this version sent a signal of danger into Link mind. A Twilit portal, resembled a strange black figure, like a star in the sky with blue lines moving through. But what Link saw was different, it was a literal rip in the sky, and the inside being a blood-red spiral. There were too many reasons and explanations, none seemed correct or even possible.

Out of all the strange events and sighs in his life, he has rarely had a good thing happen to him. But strangely, the unusual spectacle in the sky sealed itself up, like the rip was closed. To Link, he wasn't sure if this was a good or bad situation, either whatever it was supposed to do was already finished, or it did no harm. Either way, he would have to leave in the middle of the night to investigate the area.

"It looked like it was over the castle. Probably in the Courtyard, but it's gone now." Link responded quietly. The nervous look in Rusl's eyes about it leaving seemed out of place to Link. He simply reassured his teacher that he would handle everything, and prove it was nothing. "Don't worry about it, I'll check it later. Relax."

"Alright, sorry." Rusl finished and continued across the bridge, he was confused yet relieved. The two swordsmen occasionally saw the strange phenomenon of Hyrule, ranging from a magical accident, to the eruption of Death Mountain only three years ago. All of the incidents were investigated by one or the other, and depending on the situation, even both. Link knew that Rusl would never be fully at ease until he searched the area.

"What happened?" Ilia asked breaking Link out of his temporary trance. Even though he was a very honest and good person, he couldn't tell Ilia the truth. Not yet, he had to secure their time together. But deep inside, there was the courageous adventurer waiting for a new epic journey.

"He was just asking me if everything was going according to plan. I told him to let me worry about these things." It was only a partial truth, not a complete lie, but missing the important pieces of the truth. Inside he hoped she didn't realize the small mention of a plan, if she did, she'd realize the problem with his excuse. For once, he felt a playful nervousness besides the worry of being attacked by a monster beyond his ability.

"Oh, that's good. I trust you, Link. If something was wrong you'd tell me, right?" She asked curiously, with a gentle hand she brushed away a line of hair in her eyes. This made Link sick in his stomach, her ability to chose the wrong time, for the right things. Unsure of how to respond, and embarrassed , he replied the way most men would.

"Of course." The red tint in his face quickly faded away as he regained his composure. A giggle from Ilia calmed his nerves, it only took the sight of her to raise his hopes. Some of the men in the village told him of how he could've had a chance with the Princess Zelda, but he honestly only considered her a friend and she thought of him as the same. As much as he refused to believe it, his passion for Ilia was there.

The day passed by in peace, like the noise from the party, the sun was begging to lower. It was now reduced to a gathering within the village, large lamps kept the area bright. But Link sat within his home, perched on his porch allowing his feet to hang low. Something that never happened to him before has occurred not long ago, and it worried him. While resting within his home, a strange light awoke him.

He searched for the source quickly but then realized that it came from his own hand. The golden Triforce of Courage burned brightly on the back of his left hand. Ever since he lived a life of peace, this never happened, the Triforce has been dormant within his soul. But something has awakened it, his mind wandered back to the rip in the sky, hoping they weren't related. But his better instinct made him face the possibility, which was easily higher than his hopes.

Staring into the silence of the Ordona Province, his mind had the impulse to sit outside. To wait for what he didn't know was coming, he didn't argue with this internal demand. This type of impulse was always right, no matter what the situation could be. It went to the point of his equipment laying next to him. His trusty bow, the Hylian shield, and two Ordonian swords, after recently learning how to use two swords without a shield, he kept both on him at all times in a X on his back under his shield.

It happened again, by raising his hand and pointing it in the direction of the entrance to the Village. His hand began to illuminate the space around him with a golden glow, but what truly caught his eye, was the second glow moving towards him. Using his trained senses, he was able to hear the galloping hooves of two horses heading his way. Epona reared up and tugged at its reigns slightly, telling Link he was correct.

As they drew closer Link organized his thoughts and faced the painful truth. With the fall of Ganondorf, only two of the three pieces were still active. The Triforce of Wisdom and Courage, he realized now that Wisdom was coming towards him. Knowing inside, that whenever she came, it was never to greet Link and enjoy his company. But only to ask a favor of him and send him on to a quest that only he was fit to do.

He saw the two steeds in the distance coming towards his simple but happy home. Both were property of the Royal family, he could tell by the ornate cloth draped over the horses sides. On the white horse and retaining her ever lasting official serious look, was the Princess Zelda. But next to her, cloaked in all black and riding atop a horse of the same color was a person he recognized instantly. Even though the darkness weakened his vision, her glowing golden eyes gave away everything.

"Midna." Link mouthed as the Princess's drew closer. The Twilight being looked away, knowing that she would've returned if given the option. But not only did she crush Link and her own hopes, but she returned to ruin his perfect life. Only to force her own troubles upon him, and have him do her work again. Her failures in life have become a repeating thought for her, and it took it's price on her attitude.

Both horses stopped directly in front of his home, as if they were trained to find his house on their own. Zelda's brave and intelligent eyes staring up at Link with authority, Midna had her head held low out of shame. Keeping his gaze fixed upon the person that was his friend throughout his greatest hardship, Link began to speak of business.

"What is it, that you need of me, Princess." He said in a formal tone, expressing no emotion besides respect. That was the voice Zelda wanted to hear, and the only type she knew how to use. With the same expression, she continued with Link, knowing Midna was in no mood to talk.

"I'm sorry, but Hyrule needs your help once again. There has been another problem, and we need your help to solve it." She said. A quick glance at Midna to see if she had anything to input, her answer was silence. Link looked away into the dark blue sky that floated over head, his conscious telling him to save the land once again. But his love for all things peaceful and harmonic resented the idea. For once, he considered not helping them.

"What is the situation?" He asked. The thought of the Hylian Guards learning that they don't need him solving every exceptionally difficult problem came to mind. The reputation of them being cowardly has moved on, but it was replaced by Link being the Princess's right hand and the enforcer of Hyrule.

"An unstoppable army is coming this way, they destroyed my home, Link. And they have a way of creating a portal to this realm, it was the way I was forced here." Midna said answering for Zelda. The silence afterwards was held because of her finally speaking, Link had to take in the situation. There was no chance he'd be able to stop an army alone, nothing within the power of the goddesses could do that. "They are the Army of Chaos, and they'll be here soon. Unlike Ganondorf or Zant, they are not after the throne, they want to end all existence." Midna continued. Zelda felt sympathy for her but refused to voice it, Link too felt the sorrow, but he saw under that and into Midna's soul.

There he found something within Midna he never saw before, she was not the same person as before. The Midna that traveled with him was manipulative and considered all others as pawns so she could achieve her ultimate goal. But when she was the main piece on the board, Link was able to see the fear inside her. It hurt him to be able to detect this, to see how his friends suffered while he lived the beautiful life of a Hylian noble.

He made his decision. He was going to leave behind this life of serenity once again, and be up against the beings that wish to ruin it all. As his ancestors did before him, he was going to stop the coming evil, and secure the safety of Hyrule and its people. After all, the Triforce of Courage and the Hero of the Light could not back down from a challenge.

"Fine, where do I start." Link asked. He saw Midna tighten her grip on the ropes and Zelda's face showed a slight amount of disappointment. They wanted him to turn down the offer so it wouldn't be his problem, but as the Hero, it was his duty to agree.

Link expected for them to give him a location, some place where he could find a way to stop them from coming. On his previous journey, most of the work he had to do alone. But this time was different, his original dungeon battling ways weren't going to work this time. There was something different about his fight this time, something that worked in his enemies favor.

"You'll come back to Hyrule castle and wait there. We don't know when the attack will come and will need you to be ready, for all we know, they will be here tomorrow morning." Zelda said pulling back on the reigns of her horse. The royal horse reared up and turned around, facing the exit of the village. Midna followed her, after watching Link push his self over the edge of his porch and land next to Epona.

As the two rode away, Link stood in waited for them to go out of view. The darkness blocked his perception as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small envelope. It was a short message, no more than ten words.

I had to leave, there was a problem.

Link

That was all the message said, he wrote the message while sitting on the porch wondering if he would have to leave. It was meant for two people specifically, Ilia would know that he had to leave again, and Rusl would come to Hyrule Castle when he found out. With a small nail, Link pinned the paper to his steps and got on top Epona. A heavy sigh escaped his lips, and he left the village trailing behind Midna and Zelda.

"Do we know what we will be up against?" Link asked as he rode beside Zelda. Epona being the easily faster horse had to slow down for the other two. After hearing the question, Zelda looked to her companion for an answer. Midna shook her head in silence saying that she knew no more. Zelda had to tell Link the truth, the truth of this being a blind war.

"It will be an army, the exact size of it will be unknown but we will have to prepare for our first contact." Link looked back at Zelda with an irritated glance, she told him nothing he already knew. He realized that he couldn't blame her and decided to ask the only person with experience against their enemy.

"What about you Midna?" He started to say but she quickly answered, ending the conversation.

"I know nothing." She shouted and rode in silence afterwards.

In the Twilight Realm, a reborn figure hovered in the sky. Surrounded by a red aura which materialized his body, limp and weak, he hung in the air confused. But in his mind, he swore to destroy whoever put him in this position, but that thought was broken by a surge of pain. His body twitched violently as a current of red lightning flowed through him, it felt like an uncontrolled knife sliding through his veins. But the pain let him know that he was still alive.

After it was finished, he let out a large gasp, trying to hold the air which he hasn't breathed in years. His body still weak and numb, but only because he was tired and fatigued, he'd be in perfect condition soon. But he felt anguish, knowing what was going on, he was being revived once again. Being sure that his most recent death was his last, he waited for the man that repeatedly gave him life to speak.

"I find it disturbing that you have failed me again, Gerudo." The Lord of Chaos said. His servant hung within the air, his back facing the ground as he blankly stared at the ceiling. A man of power, reduced to a position of inferiority. He had a bored expression on his face, acting like a small child being lectured by his teacher.

"As I recall, your wife was a Gerudo, Chaos." He said with an evil grin upon his face knowing it was true. Even though he was under Chaos, they spoke to each other like brothers, or at least one of Chaos's many brothers. His chest still hurting aching as the wound felt fresh.

"It is nice to see you again, Ganondorf. I take it that you've been wasting the life I've given to you." Chaos said to the resurrected Gerudo king, Ganondorf laughed his traditional short laughter. But it scarred fear into the hearts of all that heard it, sadly, only Chaos was in the room. And fear was an emotion he could not understand.

"The damned Goddesses, they always have that boy stop me. I had it all, the Twilight Realm was in my grasp, and so was the Triforce of Wisdom, but the arrogant boy and his sword stopped me." Ganondorf said to Chaos with no fear of being punished. This wasn't the first time he reported a failed attempt to his master, each time, it was the same person. Chaos chuckled slightly, after a while of hearing these failures, he learned to take into this as entertainment.

"The Goddesses are a problem no more, you have done everything I needed you to do." Chaos said to the Gerudo. As mighty as Ganondorf was, even he felt a slight amount of nervousness when Chaos mentioned that his work was finished. "But there is still things I need for you to do, I promise you after this, you shall be free." Ganondorf sighed, hoping he'd finally be free.

" Even when I took the Triforce of power, they brought about their damn hero. Why should I believe they have forsaken Hyrule now?" The Gerudo king asked sarcastically. His right hand tightened into a fist popping the joints. He regained feeling in one limb, he'd be floating there for a while before he got the rest.

"After your defeat, the Light became the highest power of the realms. The balance of the powers shifted, with the fall of Darkness, only Light and Chaos remained. " Chaos said as he raised his hand towards Ganondorf. The Gerudo king was twirled around so he faced the leader of the army and watched closely as he forged a blade of his own power. A swirling orb of red power, known as Chaos energy began to extend and form a Zweihander, the massive blade double-sided blade formed. The eye placed slightly above the handle twirled around, looking at the entire area before focusing its gaze on Ganondorf. "The ending result was this, the Soul Devourer, Abyss. A gift forged from the fire of Din."

Ganondorf's eyes were fixed in envy and want, his evil facial features remained the same as small grin appeared upon his face. The eye of the blade stared at him back, using its power to send subtle messages to Ganondorf's mind. But in all honesty, Ganondorf realized how the weapon was taking his mind. He resisted it easily with the Triforce of Power, but he still wanted the weapon.

"And what do I need to do to earn such a gift." His eyes raised ever so slightly towards the holder of the weapon. With a twist of the wrist, Chaos stabbed the sword into the ground The red eyes stare was stuck upon Ganondorf, the Gerudo king returned the look with greed. Both of them could feel the power of the sword, it radiated an aura of Chaos power. It's potential was so great, the said aura was visible and took the form of red tendrils rising around the blade.

"Control it." Chaos said simply, releasing Ganondorf from his resurrection prison. He dropped to the ground and rose slowly, the burning sensation in his muscles slowly leaving. Ganondorf walked forward, finally realizing his surroundings. It was ironic how Chaos brought back Ganondorf at the same spot where Ganondorf came to Zant. "But be ready, the sword may take your soul too." Chaos said as a demented joke that both men caught.

"I won't die again." Ganondorf mumbled to his self. An oath that he was going to literally live by, not knowing how much trouble it would cause later. He stopped before the blade and with a quick glance at Chaos, placed his massive hands around the hilt. Sadly, he wasn't expecting the wave of images that flooded into his mind.

The pictures moved through his head at speeds that made them impossible to comprehend. The noises he heard, screaming, laughter, the sounds of battle and slaughter flooded his mind. Ganondorf felt his mind slowly fading as the images grew dark, he was dying slowly. But by reaching into his rage, he used the Triforce of Power to pull up the blade before seeing a last image.

"The sword." He thought as he saw the Master Sword, still held within the pedestal. Its glory sickened him to no ends, and he wished it to be destroyed. As if they were reading his mind, red tendrils arose from the ground and encased the sword. The ground started to decay and the holy golden glow became corrupted and slowly faded to a red. The shell surrounding the blade grew upwards and began to form the Abyss. He stepped forward and stopped before the blade, repeating his most recent attempt. Ganondorf reached forward, and pulled the sword from its place.

"I see you survived." Chaos chuckled. "I expected that of you." He continued with a small smile as Ganondorf breathed deep and heavy gasps. As he came back to reality, he felt his body come back to his senses and he realized a change. Tightening his grip on the blade, he stood up straight and felt the power of the Abyss flow through his veins. He was physically stronger, and the power was amazing. "The sword gave you that strength so you could continue to feed it." Chaos said knowing what his subordinate felt.

"Is this what makes you so powerful?" Ganondorf asked with an evil scheme in mind. He knew Chaos and their personalities differed, Ganondorf was an entity of evil. But Chaos had the power to crush him easily, but a motive which he held secret. If Ganondorf received the source of power that fueled the only person above him, he would have the strength to steal the Army of Chaos.

"No, but it may be enough for you to destroy the hero." Chaos said walking away from Ganondorf. He had military business to attend to, and reviving his brothers was at the top of his list. Ganondorf was indulging his self with the power of the sword, but he had something on his mind. An important question to him, but a dangerous one.

"Chaos, I've never questioned you motives or your plans. I treated you like my servants treat myself." Chaos stopped walking and turned his head slightly, not looking but listening. His experience with people allowed him to expect the coming question. "But now I wonder why your doing this. What is it that you have against Hyrule?"

"Before I answer, why do you want it so badly." Chaos responded still facing away from the Gerudo. Ganondorf responded proudly.

"The power of the Triforce, with one piece I was able to steal the throne twice. With the entire thing, who knows what could be possible." Ganondorf said. They have never revealed their intentions to each other, it was only a strictly business partnership. As the years passed, they eventually grew to understand each other but never questioned a thing. "Now answer me." He finished.

"They killed my sons." He said silently and walked away. Even though he was truly evil, Ganondorf was able to feel the pain of Chaos. He'd simply toss away everyone that he'd meet and looked out for his own goal. But Chaos had people that he cared for, and when two of them were taken away from him. Being a native to a piece of a violent and powerful family of people that was considered deities in their realm. The first thought in his mind was revenge and nothing would stop him. "They killed my sons and they will pay with their lives." He repeated and Ganondorf came to a realization that most already had come to. The small amount of power that was released from his body had put Ganondorf in awe, and only one thought crossed his mind.

Chaos was unstoppable.


	4. Dawn of war

(A/N This chapter's short, I know. But it's more of a transition into the next chapter than one on its own.)

It wasn't the first time he was here, and because of recent events it won't be the last. But it was the first time he was at Hyrule castle for over thirty minutes, not risking his life. The room they offered him was huge, with two closets, a desk, a mini library, and a giant window with a view to Hyrule Lake. Link sat down on the massive bed, probably made for at least five people and began thinking about what he just put his self into.

At this very moment, an unknown enemy is coming there direction with an unknown amount of soldiers and who knows what else. For the first time, Link had to work next to the army of Hyrule, which he recently found out was different from the Hylian guard. The guards were made primarily for the defense of the castle and city, the army handled larger threats outside the city.

With the small amount of information, he came to the conclusion that this was not a good situation. The amount of politics needed for this situation made him wonder how Zelda was able to be a princess. After arriving at the castle, they were confronted by countless amounts of politicians and advisors trying to understand the situation and give alternative options besides war. According to Midna's reaction to it all, there was nothing better than fighting for our survival. The proof was injured advisors with broken limbs.

Link agreed, but it would be better if he at least knew what they were fighting against. His imagination wandered as he thought of giant monsters swooping down from the sky, or an endless wave of Shadow Beasts. Both sent a shiver down his spine, and neither was something he could handle alone. The Triforce of Courage gave him the strength and obviously the courage to stand and fight, but he questioned the ability of a single piece against such odds.

It was as if every one turned against him for a quick moment, his closest friends were holding him back. Zelda was held up in official business and denied Link the permission needed to leave the castle and retrieve the Master Sword until they had full reason to use it. Midna has fallen into a depression, that burning fire of a personality within her dimmed as her people died.

He thought of escaping more than once, but there was factors that would put his self and others at risk. Things such as the mile drop from his window without anything to break his fall, or risk of the Chaos soldiers appearing once he was away from the castle. He was a brave man, but stupidity and bravery are two different things.

The mattress that he was sitting on started to feel like something he'd never be able to sleep on again. Letting his bodies needs come over him, Link dropped backwards on top of his bed and closed his eyes. But as he slept peacefully, another person within the castle was turning in their sleep. Trying to overcome what felt like a nightmare, knowing it was a memory.

She knew that she was forbidden enter this place, but like all children, curiosity won against obedience. A young Midna stood before a place which was known as the Temple of Darkness by all, and going inside was the first thing she did. The seal which prevented Chaos from entering was not established at that time, it was only used to lock the temple in case of emergency. The lack of a lock allowed her to enter easily, entering through the doorway and breaking a law of her people.

The darkness inside was horrifying to little children, but to a adolescent of the Twilight. It was a welcoming embrace, the strange dark glow in the room providing light to see every detail and figure in the room. The elaborate markings on the walls were the same style that were on the Fused Shadow, each one depicting a story or event. She read the markings in her mind, translating them into words for her own understanding.

They told the story of the Light and the Dark, how all beings of the Twilight once were residents in the light. But they were banished by the goddesses, and sealed in their now beautiful home. The young Midna continued to read, and the story was further told. It didn't stop with the Dark Interlopers, it began to speak of a certain clan in the Light. A hidden family known as Hyrule's shadow, or the Sheikah.

Within that clan were two brothers, exceptionally powerful children that excelled in all forms of combat. But they had one devastating flaw, unlike the rest of the clan which were loyal to the royal family. These brothers wanted to be free, and use their power the way they wanted to.

After reading that much, her vision was shattered into pieces like glass. Two red eyes stared directly at her, and as the dim light returned, the rest of the image came back with it. Two young men held down by thick heavy chains, their heads tilted over as if they have been asleep for years. The younger of the two had black hair, which spiked backwards with red tips. His tanned skin was mostly covered by a massive black coat.

The second and older brother, was a giant of a man. Being at least seven-feet tall, his silver hair hung over his face and the rest of his body was clothed in a black vest with pants. They were obviously the Sheikah from the story on the wall, but they were in the Temple of Darkness locked away.

A small gasp escaped her lips and the younger brother instantly responded. His head rose and the same red eyes were fixed on her. A grin grew across his face and she recognized the face of Chaos, the same evil that sent her life to hell.

Awakening abruptly, she sat up and took deep heavy breaths. Sweat built up across her body, and the room felt hotter than it was supposed to be in the night. Everything was silent beside her gasps for air, and the occasional footstep of a patrolling guard. Cursing her self mentally, Midna regained her composure and calmed down.

"Damn it, I don't even control my own dreams." She said. Things have been going against her plans completely, her original way of life was falling apart. Things used to always work according to her will, even with Link, she always had him doing the work that she needed done. Even though the Twilight Princess regretted that decision now, it never left her personality.

But now, forces were moving beyond her control and understanding. As a princess, most things happened only with her permission. But as a victim of circumstances, the most anyone could do was play along until they had a turn to change the course of destiny. Playing along was not something she usually did, unless it was all a piece of her plan. Midna knew she was manipulative and deceiving, but it hurt the most when you know that your own game was turned against you.

After cursing herself more and more, trying to get a hold of her own mind. Midna returned to her sleep, intent on regaining control of her life. It was her life and she decided what was going on inside, not know that the next morning would bring about panic on another level.

"Now is the time brother, I shall cut them down with ease." An incredibly humongous man said. Towering above all others by at least five feet, his skin seemed to be made of leather wrapped around a puzzle of muscle and a bald head. His reddish skin was because of the training he would have in the blazing sun of the Chaos realm. His name was Slaughter, and it was easy to understand what gave him that name.

A broadsword which equaled him in size was strapped to his back. The blade was drenched in blood to the point where it looked as if it was forged from a red metal. A man of his size would have been considered the strongest thing to ever exist. But compared to the eldest brother, Chaos, he was nothing.

"Fighting is pointless unless your opponent is an actual challenge, Slaughter." The second oldest brother said. He was slightly taller than Link, but still shorter than Ganondorf. His entire body was encased in a black armor, which resembled traditional Japanese armor. A katana that remained in its sheathe at all times rested by his side, waiting to shed the blood of a worthy opponent.

A small argument started amongst the eight extraordinary men, and the subject was death. Each one trying to support their opinion of which way was the best to kill. The suggestions included things such as how many were killed, how powerful the opponent was, and even to the most brutal decapitations. Each man with their own way of raining death upon any who stand in their way. But the oldest, strongest, and most intelligent of them all, stood atop of a massive platform.

He looked into a giant ring before him, the swirling red vortex giving off an intimidating appeal. But being the creator of the portal, he knew exactly how to use it and its effects. It was the Invasion Gate, the same portal used to transport Midna into the Light realm, he planned to move an entire army. But as he remained motionless and silent, inside his head was a plan being formed. A plan that would allow him to reach a greater goal to wreak vengeance upon the impudent, insignificant creatures of Light.

"Brother Chaos, tell these fools that devouring those tiny creatures whole is the way to do things." The largest of them all said. This brother exceeded Slaughter in size easily, but in muscle he was at a overwhelming loss. This one was known as Rage, and his features resembled the human version of an oversized Goron. A large frame, protruding stomach, and spiked armor. The only thing that he enjoyed over battle was food, and to him everything, and everyone, could be considered food. A spiked club was his signature weapon, and it was considerably short compared to the rest of him.

"It does not matter how you kill them, as long as they are dead. While we are on the topic of killing them, I have an announcement to make." Chaos said walking down from the platform that rose to the gate. The eight brothers looked up and closed their mouths, giving Chaos the undivided attention he demanded. None of them knew anything beyond what Chaos wanted them to know, and he intended to keep it that way until all the needs to his plan were meant.

"We are listening, brother." A ghostly voice echoed. One of the most unusual of them all arose from the ground, passing through the floor like air. His face was covered by a black hood and the rest of his spiritual body was shrouded in a cloak of darkness. A ghost in every sense of the word, the only part of him which was able to be materialized was his fingers. Even though they only became blades used for assassination. He was Panic, the youngest brother and only one that didn't enjoy being surrounded by a mass of corpses.

"Tomorrow, we will fall upon their castle and present ourselves." The gleam in their eyes was obvious, the genetic ruby pupils seemed to reflect the strange light and glow. But Chaos wasn't finished with his speech. "But only one of us shall go, it will not be a battle to destroy. But simply to test their might against our own." Chaos finished and he was awarded with different remarks and complaints.

"But brother, if all of us go there will be nothing standing." Mayhem shouted. The Twin brother to Slaughter, they were equal in size but differed in weaponry. While Slaughter chose a massive blade, Mayhem decided upon a cannon and magical weapon that launched orbs of flames.

"Exactly, I want them to suffer. We will destroy them slowly, after every battle they will collect the bodies of their fallen in shame." His voice a low growl that forced his opinion into the minds of his brothers. They understood his pain, and none wanted to be in the way of his wrath. It was the way of the family, to answer all problems, and overcome all difficulties with force. Chaos once told his sons if they do not move out your way, then walk over them. But his plan was to make them suffer the way he suffered. "Brother Ruin, you will take our soldiers and go into their world. Fight them, kill them, and return to us." Chaos demanded.

There were no arguments, not even a second opinion. If he wished for it to happen, it was a threat to their lives to disobey. Ruin stood before his brothers and walked away, to form an army that would follow him into the Light. But as all this happened, Ganondorf stood in the Twilight Castle examining his mark of power. The Triforce which began to glow recently took away his attention, and using its ability, he was able to sense that the Courage and Wisdom pieces have joined forces once again.

"He probably already knows." Ganondorf said with a reluctant chuckle. If anything were to happen, Chaos would be the first to know, even if there was no way of telling. It amazed everyone, but his ability of prediction and omnipresent understanding was accurate as a Chaos archer. Sadly, the Chaos archers have yet to miss a single target and proof was every single arrow fired never pierced the ground.


	5. The fall of a Hero, the bringer of Ruin

"Hurry up and get into position, everyone in you units, now!" A lieutenant shouted outside of Hyrule castles east gate. It wasn't long ago that everything was peaceful, but once Midna saw the giant red portal in the sky, everything changed. The army was instantly and hundreds of soldiers formed in front of the bridge. They weren't expecting the entire army, fortunately they weren't going to get one either.

"Bring the cavalry to the front. Spearmen behind them, archers in the back. Hurry up, were running out of time." He continued to bark orders. Link sat atop of Epona a few yards away from the loud unorganized mess known as soldiers. He couldn't blame them, the warning was instant, and they had no time to prepare.

His eyes were steady as he watched the same rip in the sky that he saw before. He wasn't sure what to expect, more Twilight Beasts, maybe it was Ganondorf returning for revenge. No matter what it was, he was prepared with both of his blades, his shield, and his bow. The rest of his equipment was still at the castle, he didn't have Midna around so he couldn't have her use the Twilight to store away his items.

"General Link, do you see anything?" The lieutenant asked after he realized the soldiers were ready. Even though they were still preparing, it became something they could do without orders.

"No, just call me Link." The idea of being called General sounded strange to him. It was like tagging on mister when talking to a five year old, it just sounded strange.

Epona spun around giving Link a clear view of what he was working with, he wasn't impressed, nor was he let down. It was a simple army of the basic weapons, each one fully clothed in armor and the Royal family symbol on their chest. It was a sight that Link wasn't used to seeing, but he knew he had to eventually.

Every individual stood in a stern and direct position, they'd be there all day if they had to. Link's eyes strolled through the ranks in silence, this was a new experience for him. He noticed a few heads turning and looked behind him, to see an old man on a horse making his way towards him.

"Rusl, what are you doing?" It was more of a statement than a question, the answer was obvious. Rusl brown steed jogged up to Link and came to a stop, the rattling of a sword and shield made his intentions obvious to everyone.

"I'm not going to just abandon you like this. Once I saw that thing in the sky again, and the army forming up here, I had to come." Rusl said pulling on the reigns of his horse. It spun around facing away from the soldiers and towards where the enemy would appear. A small smile crossed Link's face, he knew Rusl and this seemed like how he'd act.

"There's no talking you out of this, is there." Link followed Rusl and twirled around, after telling the Lieutenant to return to the soldiers. He was proud to fight next to his teacher in an actual battle, maybe even demonstrate some of the skills he's learned.

"I'm still your elder Link, I do what I please." The two laughed together loudly. But a sudden shout from a soldier paying attention silenced everything. The Army of Chaos was coming, the battle was about to begin in a brief moment. The sound of blades sliding against sheathes and shield being raised alerted everyone to that fact.

"Look." Link said as he pointed towards the portal. A small cloud of darkness lowered from the portal, no one knew what to expect. But everyone thought they'd at come in a bigger size, or that the cloud would be bigger. It descended to the ground, shifting and expanding in certain parts.

Four feet came in contact with the grass, as the cloud formed. It began to expose a black steed covered in armor, at a distance it was impossible to see. But the horse's armor had spikes erupted from its shoulders and knees, and one spike erupted from its head. On top of the horse was Ruin, and in his right hand was a long spear that would terrorize the Hylians. His black hair covered the ruby eyes as they examined the enemy force. The Hylians numbers equaled the force he decided to bring, making the battle an easy win.

"One man."

"I was expecting more, y'know an army."

"If he's anything like Ganondorf or that other guy, we might be in trouble."

Soldiers began to mumble behind Link, he raised one fist and they all became silent. All his days of adventure had given him a keen sense of danger, and a good eye. He noticed that after the one man came, the portal remained so the possibility of more coming remained. His danger sense also told him that if this one man would enter a battlefield alone, he had to have skill hidden within that single spear.

Ruin raised his hand and examined it silently, the strength he felt when he raided the other realms wasn't there. His power remained, but that additional strength that was added wasn't within him. His eyes looked past his hand and at the blue sky, it was so much different from the red sky and blazing heat of the Chaos realm. But that's what confused him, the Light Realm didn't instantly change from Light into Chaos.

"It doesn't matter, Brother Chaos wished for this Realm to be destroyed. I will grant his wish." Ruin's left hand tightened the reigns of his horse and he kicked the sides. Alone he charged forward against an entire army of hundreds, the odds seemed slim, but he continued to press forward.

"What is he doing?" Link asked. He started to question his eyes, thinking that the enemy was somewhere else. Even though he was a hero and a legend in Hyrule, Link wouldn't charge an entire army alone, it was stupid.

A massive entity of darkness descended at an angle behind Ruin, and the entire Hylian army was taken by surprise. The rest of the Chaos soldiers formed around Ruin, they were like demons falling from the sky. The sudden arrival of the hundreds of soldiers shocked Link, but he instantly realized the situation and jumped into action.

"Go!" He took off on Epona and rode forward determined on saving Hyrule again. To his left was Rusl with his blade drawn. The trotting of the horses became a repeating beat like drums, he could hear his heartbeat over all the noise. The intense rapid thumping, pumping adrenaline through his body.

It all seemed to move so slowly, the oncoming soldiers in front of him. He saw every detail, every blade, spear, axe, and shield perfectly. The red eyes of Ruin and his steed glowed as they started deciding on targets. Link could see his emotionless face, his determination and power hidden within a thin frame and blank face. They were drawing closer and Link was on a head on collision with Ruin, his sword wouldn't be able to defend him from Ruin's long spear.

Both sides roared before colliding with each other, Link pulled up on Epona's reigns and the horse leaped into the air over Ruin. But the Chaos General didn't seem to pay Link any attention, after being jumped over, Ruin brought his spear down upon a Hylian piercing his armor and heart. The horse stabbed another unfortunate soul that was in front of it with the spike on its head.

Thrusting his spear forward, another Hylian attempted to be the Hero for a change. Ruin flipped backwards off his horse and landed on the dirt ground, twirling his spear. In a deadly dance, Ruin swirled throughout all that attempted to get near to him and cut them down. In only a matter of seconds, his body count was beginning to exceed the Hylians.

Even without Ruin there, the Hylians were being cut down like sick animals. A single soldier in the chaos army was at least a six inches taller than a Hylian, and they were built like machines. With only killing on their mind, the Chaos warriors would brutally execute any that stood before.

Rusl got off his horse and decided to fight the Chaos soldiers in their own way. He pushed forward, bashing one with his shield then extended his right arm going through them with his blade. As that one fell, another stepped up to his side and brought its axe down. Stepping to the side and spinning in a circle, Rusl was able to cut him down and another behind him.

As he looked around quickly, he swallowed the reality of battle. The ranks and order the soldiers were in separated, it was every man for his self almost. His eyes came upon a Hylian bringing down his spear on a Chaos that fell, but before he had any time to celebrate. An axe was driven into his ribs and a stream of blood spilled forward. Even though it was a painful sight, the one thing that hurt Rusl the most was realizing one thing.

They were losing, badly.

A majority of bodies on the ground were young, viciously slaughtered Hylians. The lucky died instantly, the unfortunate laid on the floor with mortal wounds fighting death. Rusl raised his shield and blocked an oncoming sword, the force of the blow sent an aching pain into his forearm. He began to realize why things were the way they were now, the Chaos warriors were easily stronger physically.

He looked under the helmet at the face of his opponent and saw moblin like features. Wide mouths and glowing red eyes, their skin was jet black and like a heavy leather. It's nose arched upwards like a pigs and tusk like teeth protruded from its mouth. Whatever they were fighting were in no way, a simple warrior.

Link too realized this, but being younger and stronger than Rusl. He had less trouble avoiding their attacks and delivering his own. A soldier attempted to stab him with a spear, but Link leaned to the right and stepped forward. Bringing his sword up, he carved a large diagonal wound across the chest of his enemy. The dark red blood stained Links clothes, and he knew that he had to get some sort of armor after this.

A Hylian soldier was punched in the chest by a Chaos warrior and he stepped backwards attempting to recover from the pain. But as he gasped for air, a sword was headed directly towards his chest to end his simple life. By only a fraction of an inch, the sword strayed off its target and the wielder fell to the ground with a gaping gash in his side.

"Fall back, your too far in." Link said to the young man hoping he'd be able to go back to the rest. Trying to make sure his effort wasn't for nothing, Link stepped away from an attacking Chaos and watched the Hylian run back to the rest. But something caught his eye, and he realized that Rusl was in danger.

Link looked into the Hylian force and saw the damage that Ruin was able to create on his own. But like Link, Ruin noticed a person that was inflicting heavy casualties on his side, but his eyes stopped on Rusl. The Chaos General slowly walked towards Rusl's position, easily killing any person in his way. Rusl didn't even notice the predator that had its sights on him, he was too busy trying to survive his self.

"Rusl, look out." He shouted at the top of his lungs. But the sounds of battle blocked his voice, the clattering of swords against armor, or the shouts of pain were slowly bringing his friend to death. Link shouted again but a Chaos soldier noticed him, unable to defend. Link received a cut on his forearm before slicing the tip of his sword through his attackers collar bone.

Ruin's slow walk changed into an average jog. His spear tip dragged across the ground, ready to be brought up and remove all distractions between its holder and his goal. The Lieutenant that organized the Hylian army stepped in front of Ruin and swung his sword at a diagonal angle only to be stabbed in the chest and tossed over Ruin's shoulder. The more that stood in his way, the quicker he started to move.

Rusl was oblivious to Ruin's intent, his focus remained on a Chaos soldier of a higher rank than the rest. He estimated a second-in-command rank or something along those lines, his strength and skill was obvious. A dark wine red armor with a single blade in hand, a menacing figure on the battlefield to see.

"Die Hylian." It growled in an equally menacing voice. Rusl didn't show it, but he was surprised to hear this one speak, the other Chaos warriors simply roared or growled. It made him wonder if they were capable of speech, but this one was either special or one of the few. The Lieutenant brought down its blade on Rusl and he raised his own defending against the attack.

Sparks flew as the two blades crashed against each other, Rusl stepped back feeling the impact from the blow. He was able to see that he was easily outmatched in strength, and he used that to his advantage. With a side step, he pushed the blade forward and dragged it across the crimson armor cutting it open and spewing the blood underneath. But as he looked back at what should've been a fatal, the injured warrior dropped its blade and spun around. With an amazing amount of strength and weight behind it, the Lieutenant slammed its forearm into Rusl's chest.

The blow lifted him off his feet and into the air for what seemed like five feet away. Using his weight to help him stand, Rusl rolled across the ground and stood instantly preparing for another attack. He pulled the blade over his shoulder and pointed the tip towards his target and analyzed the situation.

He saw the wound that should've been fatal on any other being within the battle. It injured his opponent, and sent him into a blind fury. Running on all four limbs, he charged forward slamming into anyone in his way. Rusl waited steadily, hoping his old bones would react when he needed them to. It was a technique he taught to Link recently, a direct stab that used every section of the body to provide the force, speed, and stability needed to execute. It also required perfect timing, once he struck it would take a second to return to a position to defend his self. That one second could mean death if he missed.

The charging beast lunged forward and raised his arms in an attempt to tackle and maul Rusl to death. But in that second in the air, Rusl was able to identify his target and steady his breathing. The direct center of the chest was his target, and he wasn't sure if even that would've been fatal. Time stopped for Rusl alone, and in that quick second every muscle in his body pressed forward to give him the needed ability.

The blade pierced through the armor and erupted from the center of the spinal cord going through his opponent. The same dark blood dripped from both sides and the enraged Chaos soldier was run through. Using his shoulder, Rusl rammed into the body and forced him backwards into another behind him.

Not even taking a moment to enjoy his victory, he glimpsed at the bloodied corpse he had made and turned around to continue aiding his soldiers. But in front of him wasn't a Chaos warrior, or a Hylian waiting to aid a Hero on the battlefield. But the man that stepped down from the Invasion Gate and charged an army alone.

"You." Rusl mumbled as he looked into the eyes of Ruin, the same eyes that stared him down. His blade raised in a stance to defend him from any coming attacks from the spear. But it wouldn't help him much, Ruin's technique would easily break through any guard and deliver fatal blows.

The Chaos general reacted instantly, horizontally swinging his spear and attacking Rusl's guard. Using the flexibility of his weapon, Ruin instantly made a complete turn striking at Rusl from the right side. Rusl quickly responded by pulling off his shield and defending his self from the attack, once he felt the impact on his shield. He brought up his blade to strike.

As if he already knew Rusl next attack, Ruin twirled the spear behind his back forcing Rusl to step back. Ruin's every movement was graceful, as if he knew every movement of every individual on the field. His spear spun in intricate loops that made predicting the weapon impossible, and attacking without thinking suicide.

"I am the Holy Bane General, Ruin." He said performing a spinning attack. An arc of electricity followed his blade and anyone in his reach, Chaos or Hylian, was cut open and shocked to death. Rusl ducked under the blade and lunged forward seeing an opening that he thought was there, sadly it never existed.

Ruin's knees bent as he ducked over and rolled across the ground, all while spinning the spear. The lightning effect followed afterwards and Rusl jumped upwards, going over Ruin and the spear. He rolled across the ground behind Ruin and got to his feet pointing the blade towards the General.

Ruin rose to his feet facing Rusl and altered the direction of his spear, it began to move in a figure-eight as he spun it on both his right and left side. A ring formed around them, not a single soldier wanted to interrupt the duel between the two fighters, the Hylians were afraid to help. But the Chaos warriors knew that if they stepped in, Ruin would kill them on the spot for interfering his fight.

"Hold on." Link shouted from the distance. Ruin stopped his assault and looked in the direction of the Hero annoyed. His eyes narrowed as he pointed towards Link and decided to get rid of the distraction.

"Zasmal, kill him." Ruin said quietly. Normally it wouldn't have heard him over the noise, but some how his steed heard his call. It began to run towards Link, stomping and stabbing anything in its path. But what made Link notice it instantly was the electricity that began to form around the spikes. Its charge became an oncoming ball of lightning heading his direction.

Link took a few steps back and tightened his grip on his sword, the Triforce of Courage giving him the strength to stand against it. He pulled the sword down to his right side and held it there, watching the threat come towards him. He waited silently, envisioning a suit of armor attached to a skeleton. He learned from an ancient hero a technique called the mortal draw, after years of training he created his own version. Link called it the mortal assault, because of how little it changed from the original attack.

A stream of bodies laid behind it as it moved towards him, the armored lightning stallion, Zasmal. Link examined every individual spike on the horses armor and he saw exactly what he was looking for. There was an opening directly along the neck of the beast, and he knew that was the only target that would bring it down instantly.

The air surrounding him felt stiff and dry, an effect of the electricity. He had only a second to react, if anything blocked this attack he was sure to get the electrocution of his life.

To all that saw what happened, the only thing they realized was Link moving behind Zasmal. Then the horse dropping to the ground as blood pooled from its neck. It was years of training that granted Link the speed he needed to do that, even though it seemed like minutes to happen. The assault and death of the horse took place in no more than ten seconds.

"It does not matter to me, as long as you all suffer for making my brother grieve." Ruin's calm composure left as the Chaos race's blood pumped through his veins. The emotionless exterior was slowly being corrupted by the violent and powerful impulses that the entire army had within them. The graceful dance was replaced by an onslaught of rapid and deadly attacks.

Rusl stepped backwards, taken by surprise. He avoided most of the attempts but a single strike went directly into his left thigh, cutting through flesh and slicing bone. With a shout, Rusl leaned over to one side trying to overcome the pain. A second strike pierced his right knee, destroying all functions of that limb. Before he was able to fall to the ground, Ruin delivered a fatal blow.

"Die, hero." Ruin muttered before giving Rusl his attention. By using his right hand to push forward from the bottom, and his left hand guiding the point, the tip pierced through Rusl's chest. Coughing up blood, Rusl tightened his grip on the blade and raised his head. His eyes quickly shifted to Link, seeing his victory over a powerful enemy, a weak smile spread across his dying lips.

"I'm not the Hero." Rusl raised his right hand, attempting to bring Ruin with him. But it only invoked the Holy Bane General's wrath, an arc of electricity surged through the spear. The sheer intensity of the bolt created a light that made vision impossible. The smell of searing skin arose, but then was replaced by smoke as the flash disappeared. When sight was recovered, Ruin's spear was covered in blood, but Rusl's body was electrocuted at a point to where it ceased to exist. His remains were a pile of dust that survived the heat and burning cloth that would eventually be lost in history. The only pieces of him that survived were his sword which laid next to his ashes, and the memory people that knew him had.

"Rusl!' Link shouted as he watched his friend, and mentor, was run through and completely destroyed by Ruin. Even though he was the Hero, his courage would sometimes overwhelm his sense of reasoning and become arrogance in a sense. Not thinking about how he was going to even handle Ruin's fighting style, or even how to defend from the lightning.

Link reached behind his back and drew the second of his two Ordonian swords. Without clearly thinking, he ran forward with both blades dragging against the dirt. Ruin heard Link's shout of agony and turned towards the Hero, raising one hand towards him. Ever soldier that stood within Links way, created a walkway to Ruin by moving out of his way. The sounds of battle ceased, and it seemed that everyone was watching the duel between the two heroes of the army.

As everyone noticed what the others stopped fighting to look at, the entire area grew quiet. Link's ran through the hall made for him by the soldiers, tears in his eyes and anguish clouding his mind. Ruin entered a simple stance holding the spear like an average soldier, but once Link got within his reach, everything would change.

"I'll kill you." Link shouted as he pressed forward. Never before has so much rage drove him to so recklessly, and when he fought an enemy as dangerous as Ruin. A reckless charge would end his life.


	6. First Encounter

(A/N My apologies for being so late with the updating, school and other issues smade this a little more difficult. But I'll try to stick with a weekly schedule for updating.)

"On the grave of the sons, and the throne of Din. I, Ruin, shall avenge the Chaos lineage, and slay the Hero or die trying." Ruin announced as Link entered the ring of soldiers. He knew not to take advantage of his weapons length and strike first, a simple move like that would end in failure. Instead, he pointed the tip of his spear to the ground and raised the end at an angle, creating a perimeter around his self.

Link discovered a way to get within he perimeter and strike, but it would cost him his shield. Sliding the sword in his left hand under the shield and through the loops, he was able to throw it like a spinning blade. The rotating edges of the Hylian shield would easily cleave through any that stood in its way.

A flying shield caught Ruin off guard, but not long enough to inflict damage itself. In a swift motion, the spear rose up and propelled it into the crowd, injuring a few along the way. A sixth sense gave him the needed time to spin left and avoid a lunging Link. The second blade in his right hand came afterwards, blocked by the shaft of Ruin's spear. Regaining his balance, Link used the close range to is advantage by using both blades.

He focused on swinging faster than he did on hitting harder, speed would overcome Ruin, not power. It became an intense deadlock for a moment until Link flipped backwards avoiding a sudden counter-strike by Ruin. Lunging forwards suddenly, Ruin forced Link to put space between them. But the Hero of Light leapt forward, raising his blade above his head and using the right weapon to deflect.

It looked as if it was going to work, Link soaring threw the air towards a defenseless Ruin. The Chaos General had the will to survive, and by using his extended spear to conduct electricity released from his body and spinning it around him he was able to push Link back. It wasn't the force of the blow, but the numbing sting of the shock and the arc that stood around him momentarily caused Link to avoid it at all costs.

Clumsily landing on his back, he was forced to roll backwards and push up with his arms. Link tightened his right hands grip around the handle of his blade, attempting to retrieve feeling in the entire arm. Ruin's spear resonated a blue aura that surged with electricity, arcs would spread across the shaft.

Link felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over to see the dark red armor of the Chaos soldiers. His blade raised in the air and Link realized it was a sneak attack in the middle of a duel. Because of his recent electrocution, his body didn't respond in time to defend. But Ruin's sense of honor stopped the attempt by killing the soldier.

His leathery skin began to darken and smolder as Ruin released an arc of lightning upon him. Unable to look away, the smell of burning flesh clouded the sweat filled aroma of Hyrule field. The torture ended, and Link watched the smoke rise from his eyes, mouth, and nose.

"If any of you attempt to interfere, I will kill you. He was an example." He shouted and the ring around them grew bigger, both Hylians and Chaos feared that they would suffer the same fate. Pulling back his spear and returning to a position, Ruin waited for Link. "Shall we continue?" He asked politely. Ruin had no personal hate against Link or any of the Hylians, but the death of Lord Chaos's sons was unforgettable.

"Fine." Link said. Within Hyrule castle, Zelda at the Royal throne silently. Using the power granted to her by the Goddesses, Zelda used the Triforce of Wisdom to sense Link's presence. It took a moment and a sever amount of concentration but eventually her work paid off. She was able to feel Link Triforce of Courage and reassure herself that he was alive.

But along with Link she felt a dark presence, it was similar to Ganondorf but distinct. She was able to detect a hint of the Triforce within the presence, but it was corrupted by a power exceeding that of the Twilight. It was a confusing situation, she knew Ganondorf has died so the Triforce of power should be dormant. Unless another has retrieved it or Ganondorf has been revived. Either possibility wasn't in her favor.

Princess, Princess Zelda. A situation report from Hyrule field." A lone soldier marched into the room and quickly dropped to his knees before her. Panting and gasping for air, his duty was to return to Zelda as quickly as possible and tell her of conditions within the battle, then return to the frontline.

"Please continue." She said quickly wanting to know if what Midna said about them was true. From the Twilight Princess's words, Zelda though of their enemy as an army of unstoppable super soldiers with a leader of immeasurable strength. But she also knew not to think much of it, after a traumatic event like hers, Midna has sunken into a depression.

"It is not going in our favor, the enemy is easily more powerful even though they equal us in numbers. Sir Rusl has fallen in a duel against the enemy general..." The soldier strayed off trying to think of a way to say the rest. But a gasp from Zelda caused him to look up into her worried eyes.

"Rusl, how?" Being the captain of the Ordon Guard, Rusl was a regular at the castle. He's gone on multiple adventures with Link and has earned the respect of the Hylian Guard. For him to fall in battle was tragedy, and she knew Link wouldn't take it lightly.

"The enemy General, he has magic powers that we've never seen before. He rode a man-eating armored horse that split our ranks." He continued. So involved in telling and hearing the story, neither of them heard the footsteps from behind the soldier.

"Was there a man, with no armor and a large sword that had an eye on it?" Midna asked walking behind him. She held a calm and strong exterior, but inside was a fragile will, holding itself together. The scout thought for a second, and couldn't recall a single armor-less person in the entire field.

"No ma'am. The enemy wields a spear and armor that's similar to a skeleton." The scout said as Midna walked into the room. Wearing personally created robes to mimic those of the Twilight Realm. A full gown that covered all of her body except the beautiful face of the princess. The markings along her clothing were designed by Midna herself, not giving Hylians the opportunity to ruin her peoples legacy.

"Then we may have a chance, but the worst has yet to come." Midna's smile hasn't returned once, ever since she was forced into the Light. No longer was she affected by the Light, the power of her family gave her the ability to stand in this bright world. Even though it took time, she was able to realize the end of her world may have saved the other.

"Why, why are you here? What is it you want, revenge? Do you want something, the Triforce? Just tell me, god damn you." Link shouted as he rose up. His left arm felt numb from the amount of blood he lost, and the repeated electrical shocks. Metal didn't do well to defend against electricity. But it did create an effective offense, Ruin's multiple slashes and injuries supported this. But unlike Link, Ruin was a being of Chaos and his training gave him the ability to stand through any wound. "Is it Midna your after, tell me!" Link continued shouting.

"You act as if you don't remember, you killed the sons. They died by your blade, now my brother is searching for their bodies to honor them. My brother has given his servant the privilege of avenging our family and he failed us. Now, Lord Chaos has decided to take things into his own hands." Ruin explained and tightened his grip upon the shaft on his spear. The expression on his face was one of ambition, one that showed he wasn't simply fighting a battle.

Despite the belief of the Hylians, Ruin wasn't a simple killing machine. He was a warrior determined to fight for justice, that idea that he was evil was wrong. None of the soldiers of Chaos are evil, it was only Hyrule facing the vengeance of a greater power. At the start of the battle, Ruin swore an oath to avenge the family or die trying. He was a loyal man, which meant either Link or his self will fall that day.

"I didn't kill anyone, your wrong. All the soldiers that died here today, their lives were lost in vain." Link rose up and pulled both of his swords from the dirt. That moment of rest was all he needed to continue fighting, Ruin was a master at combat, but so was Link. "All of them have fallen for nothing."

"It doesn't matter, Hero. We both are murderers, in my eyes you are the evil one." Ruin brought up his spear and slid his right hand down the shaft. Holding the higher portion loosely and a firm grip on the bottom allowed him to make use of the flexible handle.

"You have killed Rusl, you destroyed the Twilight. What makes you think that I am evil." The Triforce of Courage burned brightly upon Links hand. To all the others, Ruin seemed like an impossible foe. But Link stood bravely before him.

"Our methods are our own, we hold responsibility for what we have done. So will you Hero, and the rest of Hyrule." As if it was on cue, Ruin's spear sparked with electricity as he slammed the point into the ground. A bolt of electricity arched forward moving across the ground, and towards Link. Feeling the power of the Triforce flowing through him, Link continued the fight in a new way.

Crossing his blades over each other, Link stabbed them into the dirt and waited. As the attack reached his blades, he unleashed the magic of the Triforce causing the Ordon swords to conduct the attack and then hold the same power as Ruin's spear. Feeling that this electric charge was enough to defend his self, Link leaped forward raising one blade over his head and using the other to defend.

Twisting his entire body to his left, Ruin avoided the attack and brought down the bottom his spear. As intended, Link used his left sword to block the attack and countered with his right. A thought in the back of his mind was how easy this would've been if Zelda would let him get the Master Sword. It probably would've nullified his electrical advantage from the beginning, and might've split his spear in two.

He did the same as his opponent and spun around, extending his blade to perform the spin attack he learned so long ago. But Ruin stood his spear upwards and stabbed the tip into the ground, stopping Links blade in mid-strike. Thrusting forward to strike him down, Ruin jumped into the air and using both hands flipped forwards while pulling the spear from the ground.

The result was Ruin attempting to split Link's skull in two, fortunately, Link crossed over his blades once again and defended. The impact from the blow sent a stabbing pain through his muscles but if left him with an idea to end this. The plan was flawless, but it came with only one problem, Link had to be ready to take a spear to the shoulder. He decided it was worth it to avenge Rusl and proceeded.

"This ends now." Link shouted as he dropped the sword in his left hand and pulled the blade in his right back. Ruin brought his spear down and the blade at the end, sliced itself into Link shoulder but stopped as Link grabbed the shaft under the blade. Now that he had both Ruin's spear and an opening to a vital spot of his choice, the only thing left to do was take the chance.

Pushing the sword in his right forward in an attempt to pierce through Ruin's armor and go through him. Link s pushed Ruin spear upwards and used both hands to put all the power he had into the attack. For everyone, even the soldiers that idly stood by and watched it all happen, time seemed to stop. The Hylians felt proud and victorious, but the Chaos soldiers felt nothing. They understood one thing the Hylians didn't Ruin was one of many, he was the weakest of a family known as the Holy Bane Generals. When Ruin fell here, it was a sacrifice that was needed to awaken a sleeping giant.

Every detail of the event was seen, the smallest movement was noticed by all. Links sword touching Ruins armor and the sparks that flew when it went through. The screeching noise made as metal pierced metal and the heavy breaths that came from both combatants. Links small smile of relief as the dark red, almost black blood leaked forward and dripped out of Ruins armor. Ruin's emotionless face, as if this was how things was intended from the beginning. All these minor details were taken in to paint the bigger picture, Ruin has fallen.

The final and most important detail of all, the blade erupting from Ruins back. He stepped backwards silently, still holding the spear in his hand. Using his empty hand, he weakly pulled the blade out of his chest and closed his eyes. He wasn't dead yet, but he was taking the last breaths he had to center his self and honor the man that killed him. Link stepped back, his shoulder feeling numb from the shocks that was sent through it.

"You are strong, Hero, as strong as I expected. But I am sorry to tell you that I am the weakest of my kin, and they will come, I truly do apologize. You were a worthy opponent against me, but compared to them, I am nothing." Ruin said as he stood straight. Ignoring the pain and surviving by sheer will. He stood before Link.

"What is this, pity." Link muttered as Ruin continued. For the first and last time, only Link saw this. A small smile, a hint of happiness or respect came upon Ruin's face. In all honesty, it looked like the smile of a great warrior, it was the exact same smile that Rusl gave him. He wasn't sure how to take it, the person he hated so much had no negative thoughts against him, they fought because they had too, nothing more.

"We could've been brothers Hero, but alas, we meet on the battlefield, that is pity. I do not want you to kill the rest of my family, but if you can, show them the same fighting ability you showed me. The red star in the sky marks when and where we shall arise. Farewell." Ruin's body went limp as he slowly fell backwards, but unlike the soldiers that came with him. His body began to dissolve into darkness and he disappeared suddenly.

Link looked up from where Ruin's body would've fallen and noticed that all of the Chaos beings have disappeared. The only trace of their presence was the fallen Hylians and the trampled grass of Hyrule field. There was total silence, no one willing to say a word after hearing Ruin speak. Link's mind was swirling with thoughts that didn't seem to make sense.

One of those thoughts was war and vengeance. Ruin killed Rusl, and Link killed Ruin, the only reason why Rusl died was because they were fighting a battle in war. Then again, none of the Chaos beings never would've even showed themselves if they weren't returning for revenge. Link killed Ruin out of vengeance for Rusl, it was a complicated cycle that wouldn't end until one of them were dead.

"Link, sir. Did we win?" A soldier asked as he bravely stepped forward. The answer was a confusing one at best, they won because Ruin died and the Chaos retreated.

"It is up for you to decide. Let's go back." Link said as he picked up the two Ordonian swords on the ground. He set them up as an X by piercing both blades into the ground at an angle. He needed a way to explain to Colin about his father's death, about his own failure to save the one's he cared for. "I don't want to be here any longer."

"Yes sir. Any that is healthy, help the wounded stand. Leave the bodies for now!" A soldier started to bark orders at the rest. The army that stood behind Link in battle was in a slight daze, but with the orders they awoke and scrambled to work. Link was able to see it in their eyes, all of them had a new perception of things, and experience in fighting the Chaos. That experience gave them a slight advantage over the others.

Link dropped to his knees and rested, his wounds were still open but the pain has ended. All the wounds came from Ruin alone, which worried the Hero. The only man ever able to injure him so badly was Ganondorf, if Ruin matched his power and was the weakest. He needed to find a way to become stronger, unfortunately, there was nothing in his mind that helped.

"Did you see that. Link killed the enemy general on his own, in a duel."

"He also brought down that massive horse, I saw one of the guys I was talking to earlier be killed by it. That thing called Zasmal deserved to die."

"Some one should talk to him, Rusl was killed. You know how close those two were, it's like watching your dad die."

"Didn't Rusl have a son, this isn't going to go well."

The soldiers talked amongst themselves and gossiped if they weren't holding in the pain. Link didn't bother listening to what they said, his attention was focused on the glowing symbol upon his hand. As he grew older and faced more situations, Link learned how to control the Triforce and the powers it brought slightly. That was how he was able to use his swords to conduct the electricity.

But there were certain times when it worked alone, now was such a time. It showed brightly as Zelda and Midna rode atop two brown horses onto the battlefield. Finally seeing the results of the battle first hand, they looked upon the diminished numbers and souls of the Hylians. Link alone stood before them, while the rest continued upon their individual orders, or treated their own wounds.

"Link, I have heard about what happened to Rusl. I am sorry." Zelda said remaining upon her horse. Midna looked at the army and sighed, it was barely half the size of what they originally were. The Chaos soldiers didn't even leave corpses, so their losses was known to them and only them. Both sides suffered the loss of a respected individual, Rusl and Ruin.

"There will be more, I have to get my sword back. Even that might not be enough but it'll help. Where are the Gorons and the Zoras " Link said as he stood up from Rusl's grave. Hylians alone weren't strong enough, they needed numbers and skills. The Gorons had the strength needed, and the ability to fight from the water was a skill the Zoras possessed

"They have promised to aid us when the time comes, we'll have help soon." Zelda recently spoke with the other leaders and told them of the threat. After they agreed to help, Midna and herself received word of the Hylians being victorious. Rushing to the scene of the battle, Zelda expected an army standing proud amongst the corpses. Midna understood the reality of the enemies power, after hearing they have won the first battle, she knew of the casualties that happened.

"Good, now I'll get the Master Sword and we should be fine." Link finished. He wasn't sure if the magical sword would even help much, but it did have abilities that saved his life on multiple occasions. It felt like another adventure was going to begin, he'd be put in the way of danger's blade.

"No, it'll draw too much attention. I have a plan but you'll have to leave the sword for now." Midna said quietly. Link sighed and rolled his tired eyes. The only thing he wanted at the moment was his sword, but everyone seemed to be against that. After wondering if Midna had an actual good plan, he decided to focus in on what they were saying. "Within the Twilight Realm there is... was, a temple. It was called the Temple of Darkness, within it was an army of bandits sealed away."

"You just said bandits, why would they help us?" Zelda asked. As a royal princess, she learned to despise those that disobeyed the laws and acted upon greed. It was something that everyone was taught, to hate the evil and be a good person. But that ideal is useless in this war, everyone had reasons. No one was evil, but not a single person could define justice.

"Freedom, it's all they wanted. If we free them from the Temple, we might be able to get their help." It was a risky plan. Link saw it as a good opportunity to gain quick help and save the Sheikah. After Impaz death from natural causes, it seemed like the faithful guardians to the royal family were gone.

"I don't think that's a..." Zelda began to say.

"How do I get there." Link said. A small smile grew on his face as Zelda shot him an annoyed glance. She wasn't annoyed because he interrupted her, but she was about to give him permission to get the Master Sword. Knowing he'd hear her mouth later, Link continued. "You broke the mirror."

"The Light and Twilight are linked through multiple ways, one of those things are the Temples. The twilight beasts appeared in the temples because of a link between our realms, one of your temples should be the gate to the Temple of Darkness." Midna stated. It left both of the Hylians to ponder for a second. "We have to decide correctly, all the others were taken by the Chaos." Not exactly one that enjoyed being dropped in the middle of a hostile army, Link was the first to came up with the idea.

"The Temple of Time, it's the most sacred of them all. It should work." Link said as he looked up into the sky. He always wanted to go back to the Twilight Realm, but going there in this kind of situation isn't what he expected. "Once everything is cleaned up here, I'll leave immediately."


	7. Into the Twilight

"Link, are you sure about this. I don't think this will work, it's too risky and there's too many detail we haven't worked out." Zelda complained from behind Link as he wrapped his hands around the hilt of the Master Sword. Gripping the blade left him with an essence of relief as the familiar power stretched through his veins. It was like the only drug with no withdrawal effects besides the loss of a powerful sword. It took a while for him to convince both of them to allow him to take the sword into the Twilight by saying it helped more than hurt.

"What's wrong Zelda, you don't trust Midna?" Link said as a light-hearted joke. The Twilight Princess was standing in front of the doors to the temple harboring her power. Opening a portal directly to the Twilight Realm was more difficult than she believed it was before. Link glanced at Zelda quickly and smiled innocently.

"It's not her I don't trust, it's the plan." Zelda said under her breath just enough so Link could hear. He looked away keeping the friendly smile he had before, but inside was tormented by worry. He didn't question the method of getting there, but he was attempting to devise a plan once he was there. The worst case scenario was that he was positioned in the middle of an entire army, or if he appeared before the other Holy Bane Generals.

"Don't worry, Zelda. Now back up, Midna looks like she's ready." Link said as an aura of darkness appeared around Midna. Countless fist-sized black orbs floated up from the ground and gathered in a ring above her, she raised her hands upward to focus more of the orbs in one spot specifically. Zelda stepped back silently as Link drew the Master Sword from its pedestal.

Zelda glanced around seeing the black orbs swarming in from all over the woods. They came from the trees as if Midna was pulling the very energy from the world around them. The reason for all this was the lack of the Mirror of Twilight, even a shard of the Mirror would make the process easier. Her hair extended upwards and formed a ring around the portal, it looked like the rips in reality made by the Twilight Beasts with its neon blue lines stretching through a black background.

Midna suddenly threw her hands upwards and shouted which activated the gate between the two realms. Link closed his eyes and waited in silence for Midna to send him into the Twilight. He honestly always wanted to visit the Twilight Realm again, but he wished it was under better circumstances that he would return.

"Midna, I'm ready." Link shouted. She let out another cry which turned Link into a shadowed figure of his shape. Piece by piece, Link flew towards the portal leaving the Light behind him and preparing for whatever was before him. He heard Zelda shouting out farewell to him before all things went silent from before.

A sudden pain pierced through his mind as something went wrong, his sight was blocked off by the darkness that enveloped his body but his sense still worked. He heard the beastly growls of Chaos soldiers and a scream from Zelda as swords and other weapons were being drawn. Link's body felt numb as he entered the Twilight Realm. Midna cursed loudly before releasing her power and attacking the soldiers, but that caused a disruption in the portal.

"No!" Link shouted as everything grew silent and he lost consciousness. The familiar slight warmth that came from the Twilight sky was like a cold yet loving embrace. Unable to awake his self, Link felt his body plummeting to the ground and yet he didn't feel the pain of hitting the ground.

"Damn it." Midna shouted as a Chaos Soldier knocked away Zelda's sword and leaned forward delivering a powerful punch to her stomach. The Princess simply fell forward in pain holding her stomach and gasping for air. Midna used what little power she had left to form a spear from her hair and launch it forwards, slashing into the ribs of a Chaos Soldier.

In an act of desperation, Zelda rolled on her side grabbing the rapier she kept at all times. She jumped forward sinking the blade into the flesh of a Chaos Soldier and moving back to remove it. The two soldiers that the princesses injured fell to the ground dead, but more flooded into the small area they were in. Even a fool, even Link, would realize that at this point, he was surrounded with no chance of escape.

Zelda stood tall, brave and royal compared to Midna's hunched over and feral position. The Hylian princess raised her hand to the Twili signaling their defeat but underneath it contained another message. With her pointer finger aimed upwards, Midna glanced to the dark night sky to see a floating figure above them. The red glowing orb in its core made it similar to a Poe, but the beings movements were more like a puppet.

The figure descended down to them head first, twirling and spiraling through the air in an epic display. It suddenly dropped down directly in front of Zelda and she saw the face of a being that existed on another plane. It held a transparent look, with Zelda able to see through the black death mask and the red paint splashed on it to create a disturbing smiling face. The ghostly figured hovered before her, everything below the head surrounded by a black torn black robe.

"I....am....Panic..." It said in a ghastly voice, every word drawn out into the air. Its head suddenly jerked to the side causing the mask on its face to shift from side to side creating a strange snapping noise as it moved. There were no holes for eyes, but Zelda knew that it had a way of keeping its gaze on her. She kept silent, not giving into the fear that built up inside.

"Get away, monster." Midna shouted which caught the attention of Panic. The specter slowly descended into the ground, passing through it all as if it was slowly falling through air. Midna looked down at the ground in front of her seeing Panic's mask studying her intently. The paint shifted from the sadists smile to a psychopathic look of anger and confusion.

"I.....am....Panic...." It said as it rose from the ground. Midna stepped back and stood up straight measuring herself up to him. But it was difficult to compare size with something that couldn't be touched. Panic raised his left hand, exposing that it was nothing but five hooks in the general form of a hand. It rubbed the hooks against her face before slowly hiding its hand underneath the shadows that surrounded it. "You.....are.....the monster." He said emphasizing his distaste for her.

"What do you want, Link is gone and we don't know where he is." Zelda announced for all to hear. It was sad at how true the statement was knowing that they've possibly lost Link until he found his way back. Panic lurched backwards like he was being dragged by a string, passing through soldiers. He fazed directly through Zelda and stopped before her with the same expression he showed Midna.

Zelda's eyes widened as Panics head suddenly began to twist in every direction possible. The mask made strange rattling noises as it flipped from side to side, swinging and snapping backwards. The seizure ended with Panic looking at Zelda with the paint in a wide-eyed childish grin.

"You...." It whispered to her before a Chaos Soldier behind her slammed elbow into her temple. Before she fell to the ground, Panic whipped out its hooked hands and latched them into her shirt. He then shot upwards into the air and once again, gracefully flew away in less than a second.

Before Midna could respond, the soldier behind her landed a heavy blow directly above her spine. It was not long before Hylian soldiers arrived, but they came after all the Chaos already disappeared into the night. The only thing they found was an injured and unconscious Midna and two small spots of dark red blood from the soldiers the princesses killed.

Link awoke amidst a dimly lit massive temple. He stood up quickly grabbing the handle of his blade ready to draw it off his back until he remembered an important fact. He looked to the ground and lifted up the brightly glowing Master Sword. As he raised up, Link used the Master Sword's glow to illuminate his vision and came across a surprising sight. He was in the middle aisle of a massive temple, and in neatly organized rows, were coffins marked by the Hylian symbol.

"What the hell?" Link muttered underneath his breath as he walked forward seeing this almost endless row of coffins. He attempted to open one of them out of curiosity, but they were locked by a force beyond his control. After struggling momentarily, Link stepped back from the coffin and looked down the aisle to the end of the building.

Between two ancient burning black flames were two corpses, both of them chained to the wall in a different manner. The smaller of the two was suspend in the air by his wrists, the larger and most likely older was held to the ground by thicker chains that covered him from the shoulders down. Link stepped forward slowly until the air in the room started to suddenly chill as he felt another presence.

He turned around slowly and saw an ancient enemy to his ancestors, one that plagued the Hero's blood for as long as it existed. He stepped backwards and tightened his grip on the blade, a feeling told him that the thing before him would never even consider letting him walk out alive. An all black figure stood there, it's black clothes, gray skin, and red eyes pierced into his mind.

"Hello, again." Dark Link said with a cruel smile and a malicious intent that sent a chill down Link's spine. Those two words started it all, Dark Link stepped forward as a duplicate of the Master Sword formed in its left hand. He leaped upwards into the air clasping the hilt of his blade with both hands and bringing it down.

Link rolled backwards holding onto his blade before positioning his self to lunge back. He proceeded to use an athletic sprinting position to jump forward and attempt to plunge his blade deep into his mimics chest. Dark Link jumped backwards, while morphing his sword into a bow and arrow. Once his feet touched against the ground, Dark Link launched three arrows simultaneously.

"Do you remember our last meeting, Link. It was in the Water Temple, you pinned me to the tree with your sword.". Link drew the Hylian shield from his back and raised it up on level with the arrows. As he heard the sound of metal hitting metal, he spun around and threw his shield like a spinning blade. Dark Link ducked under the shield and charged back forward, his bow morphing into the Megaton Hammer. With all of his weight and momentum in one blow, Dark Link jumped upward and attempted to bring the hammer down on Link. Knowing he couldn't defend, Link stumbled backwards as the hammer crashed down and cracked the ground underneath. "It's my turn to be the Hero." He said in a voice similar to Link's own.

The Hammer melded down into a strange covering around Dark Link's hands. He remained hunched over, but used his version of the Golden Gauntlets to stick his hands into the stone under there feet. Link drew the Ordon Sword behind his back and prepared his self to attack before things grew out of hand. Dark Link grabbed the stone tile and pulled it out of the ground with ease and threw the heavy object like a pebble. Link reacted instantly by pushing forward and performing the Mortal Draw on the oncoming object. But directly behind it was Dark Link with his twisted grin and the shadow of the Master Sword.

On impulse, Link performed a second Mortal Draw with the Master Sword in his left hand. He heard the shout of Dark Link reduced to a whisper in seconds as the black figure disappeared and the warmth of the Twilight returned to the room. Link stood astounded by what he just faced, but he remembered that he had to return back to the Light quickly. He turned back to the end of Temple, at the two figures and their undisturbed rest.

He walked down the aisle passing the rows of marble coffins and engravings in the wall. It was so dark, yet the light of the Twilit sky and the white stone created something of a dark light that was easy to through yet still a strain on the eyes. With his two blades away and after collecting his shield, Link stood before the elevated platform that held the two above him and chained to their positions. He stood their silently, wondering how he was supposed to awaken them when his problem solved itself.

He looked up and saw a small change on the figure that was chained in the air. Link saw luminescent ruby like eyes staring directly at him with a hidden intention. The figure took in a heavy breath as it seemed to come back to life from his eternal slumber. Link took a second to study which one awoke.

It was a dark skinned male with a black hair that loosely hung around his head. He wore a large black coat that remained open with tears along the ends. His baggy black pants were a loose fit and provided the wearer with comfort and mobility. Link wouldn't have much longer to study the now awake person, he immediately swung upwards and wrapped his legs around the chain that suspended him in the air. Link stepped backwards in surprise but pressed against one of the coffins that rested behind him.

The chains suddenly snapped as the person twirled back down while twisting, releasing his hands. He landed against the ground hunched over and arose slowly letting the joints in his body pop as he stretched. Link noticed the reflection from two large scimitars on his back , and underneath his coat were two hooks attached by a chain that wrapped around his torso.

"Well, well. Who's this guy?" He said before leaning over and leaping off the platform. Link wondered why it seemed that everyone here knew him from before yet they've never met. He landed on the ground before Link from his ten foot drop with his right hand on the curved hilt of the scimitar on his back. "I guess I should be thanking you or something like that for letting us out. You look familiar." He said as he began to slowly draw the blade.

Link acted first by quickly drawing the blade form his back and pointing it at the person's face. But he was shocked to see how fast he moved, Link jumped backwards and rolled over the coffin to avoid being cut in half by the scimitar. It was at this moment Link realized why he was supposed to help them, his opponent seemed to instantly shift from spot to spot. Leaving images of him self every time he changed direction, with his incredible speed he moved from coffin to coffin knowing Link had no chance of keeping up.

"Riax, relax." A deeper voice boomed out and the one known as Riax stopped standing on coffin behind Link. On his face was a disappointed expression as he looked up to the other platform to larger of the two. Riax sighed heavily knowing that he took to long to take out Link, he thought it was more fun showing of his speed while delivering small injuries. "If you'd just wait a minute, maybe we'd learn something. Who knows how long we've been here."

"Your the bandits, right. I can get you out of here, on one occasion. Once we escape, you help Hyrule. Then we can go on our way. Nothing else to it." Link said bluntly as the larger silver haired of the two dropped down from his platform. When he landed on the ground it was like the entire floor shook, and the spot underneath him cracked down at least ten inches. He stepped up slowly and walked past him.

Judging by their appearances, Link guessed the two were brothers. The silver haired one seemed around Link's own age, while the younger was closer to Midna's age, maybe slightly older. The silver haired man stood before him with very basic clothing, a white vest and loose fit black pants. His face carried a tired permanent look while Riax's looked energetic and eager to fight.

"Depends, what kind of help we talking. Because in all honesty, I've dealt with enough drama from the damn Hylians. Snobby bastards..." Riax said as he walked over to the closest coffin to him. He slid his hand along the bottom of the lid and began to test the weight of the object. After determining that it wasn't worth putting effort into he pointed at the older brother who was easily physically stronger than a Goron. "Jiax, get this. I hear breathing inside."

"There's a war going on in Hyrule, an army from the Chaos Realm. I'll only let you out if you agree so make up your mind quickly. They might show up here soon and they won't give you the same choice." Link said watching Riax for any bodily expressions that may signal how far he's getting. Riax wasn't a difficult person to read outside of battle, his stance showed that he agreed if it was earned him freedom. Jiax apparently didn't care either way, his half-open eyes didn't even show the slightest hint of an opinion as he easily flipped open the casket.

"Whatever you say green-guy, just give me a sec." Riax said as he looked into the casket and began to awake one of the many bandits that made their group. Link noticed the massive foot long halberd on Jiax's back and noted the large double-sided axe on the other end. He figured that the older was the strength while the younger kept the speed, but it didn't mean that either of them lacked in the others field. "Suna, come on. Wake up, Suna."

"What the hell do you want, god, it feels like I was hit by rolling Goron." A dark skinned woman with red dreaded hair said as she climbed out of the stone container. On her back was another scimitar, smaller than Riax's though it was still of the same curved design with less of the ritualistic markings. Link was astounded by her pure beauty and was left speechless. Although he looked away in shame, Suna noticed his quick stare. "What, never seen a Gerudo." She said which shocked Link.

Another coffin across the room suddenly opened as the lid was pushed off. A Sheikah jumped out of his imprisonment and landed in the aisle with stealth and speed. Following his escape, more and more of the coffins opened as Gerudo and Sheikah together stood from their rest. Riax watched as he saw them all arising and looked back to Link who stood their slightly surprised. He didn't expect all of the coffins to be filled with the bandits, but some part of him saw this coming.

Riax turned around using an almost feline like agility, leapt into the air gracefully. He stood atop the platform that held him and his brother in the air and watched out over his awakening people. His memory was hazy and he was pretty sure that all the others were too, some of them began talking to each other and opening the other caskets to release their friends and comrades. Link remained silent as he saw the remains of the two extinct clans of Hyrule, the Gerudo and Sheikah.

"Listen up, I don't know what's going on. But apparently this guy does, so we're going to follow him out of here and when we are in the clear we'll get the answers we need. It's as simple as that, lead the way Link." Riax announced from where he was and Link looked for all of the other responses. He was amused by their response as they all happily accepted orders and obeyed them without questioning Riax, but they did have their wonders on Link.

The Hero had the feeling that this entire situation went fairly easy, so it was most likely going to get more difficult later. It didn't take long for the hundred or so people to become quickly organized and identify who was who and what position they were in. Even though there wasn't many of them compared to an entire army, they had enough skill to hold their own against an entire legion of Chaos Soldiers. Exactly what Link needed. But one thing bothered him. Riax announced to everyone that they were following Link, the specifically said 'Lead the way Link."

But Link never told any of them his name, he quickly dismissed the though as a lapse of memory on his part.


	8. Understanding the damned

"Link, I don't know how you did it. I never thought I'd see both Gerudo and Sheikah, but here they are, having a picnic in the Courtyard." Auru, an elderly man that lost his agility and strength over the five years after the Twilight invaded Hyrule. He stood before an open window looking down on the hundreds of little dots that spread out through the Courtyard.

"It wasn't easy, it never is actually. But I need to know, where is Zelda and Midna?" Link asked as he remembers the sounds he heard before awakening within the Temple of Darkness. Auru tired eyes closed gently leaving Link to ponder on how badly the situation was. With a heavy sigh, Auru answered Link.

"From Midna's description of the events, Zelda has been kidnapped." Auru mumbled shamefully as he kept his eyes outside of the window, unable to look Link in the eye. Link cursed heavily under his breath knowing that her safety was one of the reasons why he left to the Twilight Realm in the first place. This was the second time that Zelda sacrificed herself so Link could defeat their enemy. "Her exact locations are unknown, I've been positioned to rule until she has returned."

"Damn it, what about Midna?" Link asked hoping one of the two princesses escaped from the encounter. It was one of the few times the anyone will be able to give Link a positive answer throughout this entire war.

"She's been resting, awaiting your return from her realm alone. I must say, she's taking all of this very harshly." Auru continued as he turned away from the window and made his way to a small pile of signed decrees and official documents. A person of his age and experience learned that patience was a virtue, especially in politics. After helping Link at Hyrule Castle, Auru turned to politics to ensure the safety of Hyrule. "But you have important matters to attend to, such as organizing this army in the way you see fit." Auru continued as he lifted a select group of papers.

"What do you mean?" Link asked simply as Auru handed him the stock of documents and other scrolls. It didn't take the Hero long to find the message out of all the papers. Signed by the leaders of the Zora, Goron, and Mayor Bo of Ordon Village. The direction it was headed was easy to see and simple. "I can't do this." Link said out of modesty and an unwilling feeling to except the responsibility.

"You can still deny it, these papers aren't an order. But they are a request from the most powerful people in Hyrule and some of the friends you made on your journey." The tone Auru used simply said that Link didn't have a choice. It was just as understanding as it was demanding, and Link got the hint. The Hero turned around with one thought on his mind, he knew how the Hylians would respond. But the Gerudo and Sheikah bandits probably wouldn't take the change so easily.

"Master General, does this mean I have control over the entire Hylian military." Link asked accepting his new title. He honestly believed that Rusl would be more fit to take the position, but he knew that wouldn't happen. He realized that know he had to become more than a simple Hero, he had to become a exalted figure of promise and hope to all people, putting the pressure on him. "My limits." Link said.

"The entire Hylian force is under your command and is your responsibility, you lead them however you see fit. The only limitation is that you must run all large-scale orders by me in case you violate any of the other Kingdom laws." Auru said. Link almost completely forgot that there were other kingdoms outside of Hylian borders. But it seemed that the Chaos's only issue was with Hyrule, so that wouldn't become a problem.

"What about the others?" Link said referring to the Bandits as the others. Auru glanced back outside the window to watch how things were holding in the courtyard. It seemed that a Hylian insulted one of the Gerudo's and learned why they were the most feared band of pirates after being beaten cold. Auru raised an eye wondering what would come out of the alliance.

"They aren't under Hylian regulations seeing as how they are under an alliance and also denied citizenship." Auru said. He remembered speaking to Riax and Jiax directly, and having them shoot down almost every formal agreement he thought of. They wanted only two things, to fight, and to be free to leave once it's all over. Afterwards, Jiax lazily walked out the room as if he was drunk and Riax decided to leap out the window and disappear. "So all I have to say is that, if you can get them to listen to you. Then they are your problem." Auru joked and heard Link chuckle knowing that wouldn't be an easy task.

Jiax sat on the steps leading up to the entrance chamber to the castle. He looked out the courtyard watching as the Gerudo and Sheikah did simple things such as sit around and talk amongst themselves, train to regain whatever lost skills they had, or play tricks on the Hylians that were on duty. He found it slightly amusing to watch the Sheikah use their incredible stealth and speed to sneak up behind Hylians and tap their shoulders. Then move around them to stand behind them.

Jiax was a laid-back almost uncaring kind of person that never took his role as the older brother to harshly. Usually, he stood back and let Riax do the thinking and give orders while he followed simply because following was easier than leading. But his strength was undoubtedly the most unnatural feat a human can achieve without the use of any arcane specialties. He was able to wield his over one-hundred pound halberd with one hand and maneuver easily, it would even make a Goron stare in awe. His silver hair hung over his ruby eyes as he yawned heavily.

Riax, was laid out atop a castle tower staring out into the entirety of Hyrule Kingdom and it amazed him. He felt as if it had only been a few days since he and the others were proud rogues that none dared to cross. But his memory was hazy, he couldn't remember being captured or defeated, nor being sealed away in the Twilight Realm. His mind wandered as he looked throughout Hyrule trying to understand how much it had changed.

"How long has it been?" He said aloud. The Sheikah's shinobi-like skills have been lost over the ages. But the few that remain are the masters of the style and have been known to be second to none on the battlefield as they used speed as their advantage. Riax was the top at this skill specifically, so when a Sheikah appeared behind him. He knew, instantly. "What do you think?"

"Damn, I swore I snuck up on you this time." The Sheikah said. He walked next to the technical Young Master and stood on the edge using his weight to hold his self up. Their abilities were impossible to understand without prior knowledge of how it is done. The Sheikah stood at an almost complete ninety-degree angle calmly without fear of falling " I dunno, but I do know it's longer than we thought. I was told one of the main reasons we're here is because Zelda was captured or something like that."

"Zelda, damn royalty." Riax said with a growl in his voice. The Sheikah felt the same thing about the princess so he didn't respond. The Free, as they prefer to be called, hated the Hylian Royal family. The Sheikah was a clan that had an undying loyalty to the Royal Family and the Gerudo were already a band of all female pirates. But events created by the Family caused the two groups two merge and became the being they were now.

It was the King of Hyrule that ordered the death of two adopted Sheikah children, Riax and Jiax. His reasons were unknown and the entire Hyrule Kingdom knew nothing of it as the order was given to one of their teachers. But the two students were the most talented of all and were still growing, so the attempt was failed and they learned from the teacher that the King wanted the two dead.

"Who knows what changed since we've been here, it only seems like yesterday when Lon Lon Ranch was in the center of the field. Remember that time Sheik tried flirting with the girl there and was attacked by cucco." The two laughed loudly remembering their friend running around the field trying to escape the evil flock. It was an inside joke among the few present that the only weakness a Sheikah had was the power of the cucco. "Another thing, do your remember Zelda being a blonde." The Sheikah asked strangely.

"I don't see why it matters but, yeah." Riax said with a curious tone. The Free seemed like a massive group of rogues from the outside. But in reality, the Free treated each other as if they were all family. The only few exceptions were the leaders, and that was only Riax, Jiax, Suna, and the traditional Sheikah leader titled Sheik. But even those ranks didn't take place unless the individual was in the situation were giving orders was needed.

"Well, I saw a portrait of her recently and... well. She suddenly became a brunette." The Sheikah said with a small grin on his face. Riax gave him a strange look wondering why he noticed that small of a detail all of a sudden. He looked away shaking his hid with that small smile until his eyes noticed a cloaked figure walking through a portion of the castle. He took a moment to understand the few details he saw and noted that it was a fully covered person in black, not a normal style in Hyrule. " I personally think it's an improvement." The Sheikah continued to say.

Riax watched closely as the mysterious figured quickly walked throughout the castle avoiding confrontation with the majority of the others. His crimson eyes followed the individual alone paying no mind to his Sheikah friend who after a moment of getting no response, waited to hear what was on Riax's mind. The expression on his face told the Sheikah to ready his self for something.

He continued to look closely as the hooded figure walked into one of the castle towers. It walked into a room quickly and closed the door behind it after checking for anyone that was following it. Riax's eyes narrowed to see through a window as a lantern was lit and shades were pulled closed. A sixth sense told him to investigate. He stood up and leaned over the edge with his friend still watching the window.

"Sheikah!" He shouted in an airy voice. Five other Sheikah appeared behind him all waiting for orders with their weapons drawn. It was the tone and voice Riax called them with, after years of being together. They learned to detect the smallest hint of that call and move in quickly, usually abruptly stopping anything they were previously doing. The standard weaponry was a short blade and a Kusarigama or a sickle tied to the end of a metal chain which was extended through the Sheikah discipline. "Follow." Riax whispered as they seemingly disappeared from their position.

It was a technique that pushed the body passed its limits mixing magical power and intense training. They were able to move at impossible speeds silently which made it seem like an ability to teleport themselves. The only hint of their presence was when they had to stop on any object to change direction, the ability only allowed them to move in straight lines even though Riax has been able to bend that rule when needed.

Midna stood inside the dark room as she tossed her robe to the side. Around her neck was the Shadow Crystal, the object that gave her the ability to use her power in the Light Realm and also allowed her to walk in the Light. But she still found a strange comfort in the Darkness, and the one thing she needed most at the moment was solitary comfort. After hearing Link returned, she grew nervous of their presence knowing that they have been sealed away for a hundred years.

To keep the feel of her home in the room, she lit a small candle and closed the windows leaving only the small flame as the only source of light. She felt weak, like a failure that has to constantly ask others to solve her own problems. As Midna lifted up a book that marked down more details to the Chaos, she learned that they were divided into a chaste system which marked their military rank. The lowest chaste simply became soldiers and other things, the next level up were given special titles and grouped into specific units depending on skill and were capable of minor speech. The second highest were given higher ranks unless they chose to be placed into a unit with an exceptional skill, such as the Chaos Archers.

The highest rank was the Royal Family itself, given the title of the Holy Bane Generals. It was in them to hold amazing skills that separated them from the rest of the Chaos. The Royal family held no physical connections besides the more humane appearance than the other beings. Relatives of the Royal family bore no resemblance to each other as it is said that they were created from the flames of Din herself. Midna threw the book to the ground in anger as it told her nothing she already knew.

"Didn't like the ending?" Midna quickly turned around at the voice and saw the door quietly shut as Riax stepped in. She noticed the curved scythe-like blade in his left hand as he shut the door with his right and walked over to the book. It was at this moment she wished she could pull up that courage she had used to defend Zelda to save herself if it was needed. "Or did you just get bored, 'cause I am." Riax said plainly as he flipped through the pages not even giving Midna a glance.

"It doesn't concern you." She announced turning away from him and lifting the candle to bring more light into the room. She put up a proud and aggravated act to hide her other feelings from him and herself. Riax didn't bother looking back as he tossed the book across the room and began to go through random things. He picked up a cloth from the Twilight Realm studying the design and patterns.

"I just thought that if we were going to be in the same castle, we should get to know..." Riax trailed off as he turned around and saw Midna as a Twili, not something he was expecting. He remembered having a dream that he woke up to see a small Twili child standing before him horrified, the two looked similar. "Well, isn't that strange." Riax said cutting off his last sentence.

"What, are you surprised to see such a beautiful Twili as me." Midna said in a conceited and annoying tone of voice. She said it purposely to annoy her intruder into leaving.

"Yes!" Riax replied happily which left Midna in disbelief on his reaction. She knew he had been away for hundreds of years so he was almost five times her age, but he possessed the same mindset as if it hadn't been to long. The luminescent red eyes seemed to reflect and amplify the light so they glowed. "Actually, I'm surprised to see any Twili after whatever happened to the Twilight Realm." Riax said unsure of who he was talking to as he went back to what he was doing..

"You never would have been sent free if it wasn't for me so show some respect." Midna said growing annoyed by how he spoke of the Twili as if they were extinct. Riax stopped what he was doing and spun around on his heels facing Midna. He figured that if it was Midna's idea to release him, she must've known the details. He stepped forward slowly putting the blade in his right hand back inside his coat.

"Thank you, happy. I never really had the opportunity to visit the Twilight Realm before being locked away in a giant temple for, how long?" Riax said implying to her to answer the question. Midna realized that by being imprisoned for that long, he wouldn't have known exactly how long he was in there. She looked away trying to remember the exact time they were imprisoned, she couldn't.

"Over a hundred years, you are the last surviving Sheikah and Gerudo." With those few words Riax stared in awe and she heard some one shouting outside of her window. The six Sheikah that accompanied him hung on the wall outside the window listening to the conversation hoping they'd be able to hear some information even though Riax told them to wait until he called them. After giving off their position, the Sheikah disappeared to tell the others.

"And your the last Twili, aren't you?" Riax said losing his recent composure as countless thoughts ran through his mind. The memory of training in the Sheikah's personal grounds near Death Mountain going through his mind. He also remembered seeing all of the beautiful Gerudo women for the first time and being pinned down after questioning their fighting ability. Midna noticed the sympathetic look and his eyes and tried to take advantage of it without revealing to much.

"The Twili will rise again." She simply said trying to convince herself as much as Riax. He looked up at the black ceiling and sighed heavily knowing the Gerudo would want to return to the desert after all of this. Not that it was a problem, it's just that they were probably expecting to find the others there along with the endless sand. The Sheikah honestly didn't care, after splitting from Hyrule they became nothing but fun-loving psychopaths.

"How is that possible if your the only one?" Riax said questioning Midna's plan on reproducing of she's alone. He noticed the Princess jump and a second of "umm" trying to think of an answer. He simply laughed aloud after realizing she didn't see how impossible that was.

"I didn't ask you to question me!" Midna shouted back which lead to Riax laughing even harder than before. She viewed his statement as a personal insult to the Twili while he just fell into a chair laughing. As he slowly regained his breath, the Twilight Princess folded her arms in disapproval. "As the Princess of the Twilight, my power allows me to do those things." She said proudly, not realizing how the mentioning of royalty dropped Riax's smile.

"The King of Hyrule didn't have the power to defend his self from me, one hundred years ago. What gives you the power to resurrect an entire race?" Riax said bringing up the true reason for their exile into the Twilight Realm. After the Sheikah followed him and his brother away from Hyrule and joined the Gerudo, the King saw them as threat and sent the Hylian military after them.

It was a one-sided battle against the Hylians, they stood no chance with the desert also against them. With no casualties and only minor injuries on the Free side, Riax lead a small squad of Sheikah into Hyrule Castle and assassinated the King before he had time to respond to the battle. He ran up to the King in the middle of his own throne and lunged a Hylian Spear through his chest before diving out of the window to escape. He had nothing personal against Midna nor wanted to kill her, it's just the idea of royalty ate away at his soul.

"But who am I to say that you can't, it was your idea to release us. So I should say I'm indebted to you, Princess." Riax finished after realizing how quickly the thought of royalty changed his mood. He mentally noted to his self not to let those type of things get to him so quickly, for he would be surrounded by it until they fulfilled the deal ending the war.

"It's about time you showed respect." Midna said. The conversation between the two continued averagely. But as they talked about minor topics, a more serious event was taking place in the Twilight Realm. Link's adventure into the Twilight didn't go unnoticed even though they escaped without encountering the Chaos themselves. The ghastly entity known as Panic noticed them his self, but reported their presence to his eldest brother.

"Brother...What shall we...do?" Panic asked hovering in front of his brother with his masked towards the ground. Lord Chaos sat upon his throne in a bored posture with his head perched up on his right hand. Panic began to feel nervous as the silence remained, wondering if he had angered his brother by waking him. Panic knew that as his brother Chaos wouldn't kill him. But as the leader, he would severely punish him. "I'm sorry... But I bring.... royalty..." Panic said in his whisper of a voice.

"Don't bother with the Hero, they can have as many allies as they wish. But what is it that you brought me?" Chaos said as he stood from his massive throne and opened his eyes. Panic lurched backwards to the squadron of soldiers that followed him and stopped before them. He passed through them like a ghost and used his hooked fingers to latch onto Zelda's collar dragging her towards his Lord. "Who is this? A princess?" Chaos said as Panic suddenly released her.

"She is...Hylian...royalty, my brother." Panic stated as he hovered behind his brother to not stand between the two. His mask suddenly twitched to the left as Chaos leaned over and extended his right hand outwards to Zelda. The Princess looked up at his hand then glanced at him judging if she should accept it or not. Her eyes narrowed as she wondered if he was able to be trusted in the slightest bit.

"I'm offering my hand to you so you may stand. Unless you are injured." Lord Chaos said which surprised Zelda. He was larger than the average man but not exceptionally huge, his lack of a shirt and armored pants showed that he hid no weapons either. Not even the Triforce of Wisdom was able to sense any danger from him. Zelda reluctantly reached up with her hand grasping his as he gently lifted her from the ground. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but as you know. Our people are not exactly on the best of terms." Zelda stood shocked by his sophisticated voice accompanied by his size.

"Why am I here, what is it that you want from me?" Zelda asked hiding all signs of worry or fear as Chaos showed no hint of remorse. Chaos brought her to her feet and then walked towards a door across the room, every footstep echoing in the massive Temple for a throne. He opened a door in front of him and turned backwards to Zelda, waving her hand to follow him. "What is the meaning of this?"

"As I've said before, we are at war. My brother has explained to me that you were performing some sort of magic and created a portal. He feared that you were sending the Hero to assassinate me and as a result, he held you hostage to bargain with which is why I apologized." Chaos explained as they walked through a hall decorated with gold and red patterns that spiraled across the war. She looked back as a soldier closed the door behind him, leaving his brother Panic in the throne. She was curious as to why he treated her like a visitor instead of the prisoner. "The reason why you are still here is fairly obvious.""So what do you want, Hyrule, the Triforce?"

"The what?"

"Nothing."

"We have no interest in your land or your culture, I can not bring myself to tell you why we are at war. But I will tell you that the Light has brought this upon themselves." Chaos gave her a cryptic message which she realized that she would later understand. She tried to compare Lord Chaos to Zant or Ganondorf but couldn't see the connection, he seemed more determined than evil. "In your eyes, we are invading you. But to us, we are simply passing judgment upon a kingdom of criminals."

They passed through another door which lead them onto a bridge connecting the center castle to one of nine spires. As they stepped outside she looked upwards to a flame colored sky with a black sun above them. It provided no warmth but it had a dark beauty to it that darkened the sky. A gentle breeze pressed against her while she looked downward to the ground and saw soldiers sparring against each other. This wasn't the way she envisioned the enemy that destroyed the Twilight.

"You treat me like a visitor, what makes you think I haven't come to kill you?" Zelda said trying to spur up a conversation while gaining information. Lord Chaos found it humorous as he quietly laughed to his self. Zelda watched him as he stopped walking and turned around to face her with a small smile across his face. His right hand began to become enshrouded by a red aura that surged with a black lightning.

"I have no reason to worry for we are invincible in this realm, you couldn't kill me even if we weren't, and if I saw you as a threat, I would have killed you." Zelda could tell by his tone and his mannerism that this wasn't arrogance. It was the harsh truth, and she realized this even without him having to say it. Chaos turned away from her and continued walking as if nothing had changed. The Chaos people understood that violence was the best way to prove dominance over another, and they have mastered the art of battle. "Even if you were to kill me, I have eight younger brothers here that would easily tear down this castle searching for you. Our other brother died in battle against the Hero." Zelda felt something near sympathy for him as she realized that this powerful man had emotions and feelings. Such as the sorrow he felt when his brother Ruin had died in battle.

"I can honestly say that we have gone through the same. A dear friend and a great man was killed on the battlefield by your brother. I've learned to fear the power of your family." Zelda said as she found herself treating Chaos like the king of a neighboring kingdom. She took a respecting role by complementing the power of his family which was a display of respect and understanding.

"We have always known your power and always wished to challenge it." Chaos said showing Zelda the cultural differences between the two. The Chaos people see obstacles as challenges to step up against and rise above instead of compromising which was a dishonorable failure. "What is your name, princess?" Chaos said as they entered the first of the nine towers. The interior design changed to take on a design that represented lightning.

"I am princess Zelda." She plainly said as they passed a massive portrait of Ruin in battle atop his steed, Zasmal. His spear sparked with electricity as Zasmal crushed the face of a soldier. Judging by the symbols and the detail in the picture, Zelda figured that all of them were demons on the battlefield because of a massive amount of experience. A fairly beautiful women walked up to Chaos and lowly bowed before him.

"What is it, my Lord?" Zelda saw Chaos's brown skin complexion and noticed the girl too had the same color of skin. They both looked Human compared to the monstrous soldier soldiers that surrounded herself and Midna not to long ago or the spectral being Panic. The woman bowed lowly but Zelda saw no form of regret or shame, she wasn't a slave.

"Take the princess to her quarters and alert Slaughter that he can lead his forces to Hyrule." It was hard for her to admit the beastly demented opinions of him she had before. He seemed like a cultured and intelligent individual that was more determined than he could be called sadistic. But no matter how they behaved, Zelda knew another battle would commence soon.

(A/N) To all readers, please leave reviews


	9. Slaughter Approaches

(A/N I must severely apologize for the amount of time it has taken me to update and the shortness of this chapter)

_Dear Goddesses. Spare the Light from the fear of darkness..._

This was only his second time engaging in a full-scale battle along side the Hylian soldiers, but it was like he was already used to the rush one got while facing down an enemy. He's engaged countless types of monsters and faced off against the greatest of beasts, but it was so much different in the battlefield. You weren't the only person you had to watch, there were others fighting for their lives and losing them. He ducked down avoiding a blade that nearly beheaded him and gracefully twirled to his right disemboweling two soldiers. It was a disgusting sight, although it quickly left his mind as their screams of terror attracted the attention of others.

He jumped forward gaining the initiative on another with his sword drawn, the soldier had little time before his chest was split open. A Hylian soldier that recently brought down his own target leapt behind him and slid the tip of his blade through the throat of a Chaos behind the Master General. The green clad Hero simply looked back and nodded, which was enough to the Hylian soldier.

_For we are your children, and our light shines from you..._

Link was attempting to create a path into the enemy lines, some of the bravest and highly skilled Hylians trailed behind him acting as his personal unit. Every few steps required a slash from their swords or protection from an oncoming attack for they were pushing deeper into the heart of the enemy. It was strange though, for even with the difficulty he was having at the moment. Riax and Jiax, the brothers, asked to take most of the enemy force to practice up on their skill. When he first saw the abilities of the Sheikah and Gerudo, working together in perfect harmony as if they had a hive-mind mentality. Link was honestly as awed as he was afraid.

Out of the corner of his left eye, the Hero caught a glimpse of a Sheikah slitting the throat of a Chaos soldier and leaping over the body before it hit the ground to bring down a sickle in the brow of another opponent. To his right were three Gerudo with halberds, maneuvering the weapons to create a wall of defense that also threatened to cut down any that came near. One brave or stupid Chaos soldier decided to step up to the Gerudo, only to be dismembered by two Sheikah before being struck down by the center Gerudo. It was obvious that the Gerudo and Sheikah, the Free, were malicious and dangerous when needed.

_Protect us from those that wish harm upon our land..._

Their methods were simply more gruesome than the simple sword and shield held by the Hylians. Once an enemy soldier fell by their blades, he remained in the ground with his last sight being the glimmer of death reflecting from their blade. They were terrifying and those gruesome killings affected the Hylians also, it brought about a sense of dignity and courage when they saw an enemy that fell an ally be gutted like their own. In the end, the battle was still in the Chaos favor and will forever be. But if it were to end here, the Hylians would fall and take many with them.

An elite Hylian that stood behind Link was defending himself from the attacks of a Chaos. But this specific Chaos was one of a kind amongst the rest, being the personal guard to a Holy Bane General that has yet to show his visage. His weapon was an axe forged from the same black metal that resisted any form of damage, even the slightest of scratch, purely for the appearance of it all.

It roared menacingly as it brought down its ax with a tremendous amount of force. The Hylian froze, his mind accepted the fact that he was going to end here and his body wasn't able to respond in time. The adrenaline and confusion that he felt numbed his senses, it was almost silent as the axe drew closer to his head. He blinked, and in that short time, waited for the blade to split open his skull and when he opened his eyes, be with the goddesses.

_Cast away the wicked, the damned, and the beasts of the deep..._

But when a warm liquid is splattered across his face and the impending doom falls, he opens his eyes to see what saved him. He then came upon the gruesome sight of the Chaos soldier being dragged across the ground and tossed aside by a massive halberd. It's wielder, Jiax, stood before the Hylian with a rather uninterested look in his eye as he twirled the massive weapon and plunged his left fist into the stomach of a Chaos denting the armor and rupturing an organ.

Using that same fist, he stepped forward and pushed the injured soldier into the air switching his grip to the ankle. Jiax brought the soldier to the ground, upon one other, breaking formers back, and proceeding to deliver and skull splitting stomp upon the next. The silver flow of hair shot upwards then slowly descended around his neck as he looked up. The same Hylian he recently saved was standing in front of him, using the axe he lifted up off the ground as a projectile. He lodged it into the chest of a Chaos that took aim with an arrow.

"I thank you, General." The Hylian said. They were told by Link to address the brothers as General, for they were key factors that aided in a Hylian victory. The Soldier didn't have much time for he had to regroup with Link and the rest of his team so way into the enemy lines can continue. He turned around leaving Jiax to cover his retreat, but as he passed by the General, he noticed the dark eyes reminiscent of rubies.

_For we are your children, protect us from the dark... - Hylian children's prayer_

Jiax stood motionless as Chaos soldiers charged forward after seeing an elite be brought down. There was three of them, two armed with axes, and one armed with a broadsword and shield. The silver haired General began to calculate the multiple ways he could bring down all three of the enemies, and which plan would require the least amount of energy. His grip tightened on the base of his spear, until he felt a cold metal graze against his cheek. It was at that moment, Jiax relaxed his muscles and waited for a second.

Riax, the younger of the two, appeared on the ground before the soldiers and unsheathed the scimitar on his back. A large blade used by Gerudo Prison Guards, Riax twirled forward in an acrobatic motion. In that quick display, the soldiers on the borders were dismembered. He continued to use a Sheikah art which formed an arcane chain and sent it around the arm of the Chaos Soldier wielding the broadsword. The black haired Sheikah master bound forward and slid out a sickle-like blade from his sleeve, and plunged the edge deep into the temple of his target.

Sudden flashes of light blinded those around them, but the two other Sheikah that threw the, now almost impossible to find, deku nuts were airborne along with Riax. Using the chains and blades, they wreaked havoc on a small unit of soldiers, beheading, suffocating and splitting open skulls. They landed on the ground and drew their blades, the Sheikah bringing out short swords and a sickle, Riax drawing his second scimitar.

"Kill me, just try and kill me you dirty Bastards!" Riax shouted into the air. The heat of battle and his drive for violence slowly taking its toll on his sanity. Link glimpsed over and saw him dash forward at inhuman speeds spiraling with both scimitars in hand. His Sheikah partners formed a sign with one hand and used their art to multiply the chains as they branched outward.

The green clad Hero knew to compete with the Free, he had to pull exceptional feats from his own skill. With his second sword drawn, Link bound forward and used a form of the Mortal draw to strike down multiple enemies in a quick display of metal meeting armor and flesh. The red spray that clouded the air behind him was filled by the Elite Hylians as they finished off the enemies he only wounded or followed in his lead pushing their own skills to the limit.

Although it wasn't noticed by the combatants for adrenaline blocked most their higher thoughts, but the battle was turned in favor for the Hylians. Their newly brought morale and the increase in soldiers from the Free leveled out the playing fields. Their first encounter with the Chaos was a massacre for most of them were inexperienced. But it didn't take more than one battle to realize that death was a living being that hovered in the shadows of all willing to take up arms.

But at this moment, death decided to show its face.

"Slaughter is here!" A cloud of darkness descended from the portal in which all the Chaos arrived from. It expanded and changed itself into the form of what should've been a humanoid figure, but its height and sheer amount of muscle made it a monster. This was the second Holy Bane General, Slaughter.

A massive hulk of a man that doubled the height of Link with arms as thick as trees. His hair hung low to his neck in thick dreads which covered his tribal tattoos that stretched across his face. As he rose up, towering over the rest of the field, the clouds of darkness formed below his hand creating a sword that resembled the bottom jaw of a beast. His entire frame was nothing but menacing as he towered over the battlefield and tightened his grip on the weapon.

He didn't bother ordering his troops, his plan was simple. Kill the Hero and his allies and spread their entrails across this pitiful realm. He took a step forward which made a sound as loud as a tree suddenly falling to the forest floor. Each step became faster and faster as he progressed from a simple walk into a charging mass of terror. Chaos, Hylian, neither side were spared from his charge as soldiers were violently tossed aside like rag dolls or were trampled.

Link, Jiax, and Riax all stopped in the midst of their activity and looked in the direction of the Holy Bane General. They knew it would take more than one of them fell this massive beast and with a glance, they decided to work together. Link knew from experience that the Chaos Generals were overpowering in strength, but also held a magical power inside them. His demonstration of this was Ruin's skill with a spear, and the sudden execution of Rusl with the electricity. He had to only presume that this massive man known as Slaughter had the same, or another power on those lines.

"On the grave of the sons, and the throne of Din. I, Slaughter, shall slay the Hero." Slaughter bellowed in a deep voice that shook all to their core. He came to a sudden halt in his dash and tilted backwards to allow his body to inhale the most amount of air possible. The three Heroes saw Slaughters massive frame expand momentarily before he shot forward.

The sound that escaped from his mouth was like a roar nothing else could create, it's pure bass and deep tone was deafening. But it's effects were worse. A sound wave pushed forward from his throat and into the air, trailing down the battlefield directly towards Links position. It ripped off the right arm of a Hylian and split open the chest cavity of a Chaos, continuing to press forward with an intense amount of pressure still reserved. Soldiers dived out of its way to escape a gruesome fate, only to clear the path to Link.

"Die, Hero" Slaughter shouted.


	10. Victory?

He was prepared to avoid the attack, it would strain his muscles to leap the distance it took to escape the blast. But in his mind, he felt that it was able to be avoided. The sheer pressure from the attack sent gusts of wind that stung his eyes and tossed his clothes and hair but they were minor irritants compared to the pain that would arrive if he felt the impact of the sphere of sound. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a young Hylian soldier, who was barely grazed by the attack, be repelled away from the sphere with tremendous force.

"Shit."

"Watch out!"

Moving faster than Link's eyes could comprehend, Riax appeared between Link and the blast fired by Slaughter. The black coat flailed backwards from the pressure blocking Link's view of what happened before him. Riax's eyes closed for a split second, the exact amount of time he needed to reach within his own being and kindle to the flames of power inside him. It surged through his veins, the power that had been forsaken for so long. As his eyes reopened, the neon glow that came from them flared.

A red aura arose from his hand as he thrust it forward, making contact with the sphere of sound. It faltered for a moment, Riax lacking the skill he had from before he was laid dormant. The skin on his palm split as a result of that moment, but the pain from it was used to allow his rage to grow. Riax tightened his hand and drove his fist through the shell of the sphere. The magic he used forced the ball to disperse calmly, a light gust spread out from where it was and graced the skin of all that were almost maimed by the nightmare. "Still got it." Riax shouted.

The moment was short-lived, the display of power stunned many but the battle continued to rage on. The Hero placed his hand on Riax's shoulder and shot him a congratulatory glance before the gut wrenching roar that echoed from General Slaughter's diaphragm reminded them that they were far from victory. That roar was a signal, it told all on the battlefield that the theatrical display was over. The battle between the Holy Bane General, and the three Warriors of Hyrule had begun.

"I'll rip you in half!" The Chaos General shouted as he proceeded back to his original charge towards Link. Each step could be felt in the ground, the vibrations like a massive boulders being dropped on the ground at a quickening pace. His eyes displayed the bloodlust and fury that engulfed his mind, he cared little for the battle, only the bloodshed. His size was unrivaled, not a single being was even close. But there was one on the field, that had the strength to fight back.

With a swing of his halberd and a heavy sigh, five Chaos soldiers were put on the ground while three others were sent backwards into the enemy ranks. He lazily and nonchalantly twirled the weapon that weighed as much as the massive portion of a dragons jaw that Slaughter used as a sword. He placed the bottom of his halberd on the dirt by his feet and stretched upwards. Two Gerudo warriors jumped past him, halberds in mid-swing, pushed back the wall of Chaos that stood before him even farther. The Gerudo to the right, Suna, glanced back to Jiax and rolled her eyes.

"You see that big guy over there, I think you need to go handle that." She announced.

"Why? It looks like Riax and Link got it covered." He said while shifting more of his weight towards the pole of the halberd, using the axe end as an anchor to hold him up. He spoke out of a lack of interest, but there was a small worry that this enemy would be too much for his companions too handle. The echoing roar reinforced that worry. "Yeah, they got it." He finished.

"If you don't get your ass over there-" Suna growled at Jiax before twirling in a circle and impaling a Chaos on the spear of her halberd. She removed the point from her enemies chest cavity and with a quick motion, removed the head of the two other adversaries. The dark red streams that shot into the air were lost in the field. "I'll make sure you end up like these guys." She threatened while displaying the Chaos that gurgled in pain while trying to remove the spear tip from its throat.

"Fine." He grumbled turning in the direction of Slaughter. He assessed the situation and devised the an effective plan to enter the already raging battle between Slaughter and his two allies. He noticed Riax appear above Slaughter and magically release a web of chains and sickles to restrain the massive enemy. But the effort was wasted, Slaughter tugged at the chains pulling the younger Sheikah straight out of the sky, over his shoulder, into the ground on top of other Chaos soldiers with an excessive amount of force.

Link heard the load groan Riax let out and flinched, they all knew that an impact like that was not enough to injure him. But it looked painful, and Riax's posture as he rose up was proof. Jiax tightened his grip on his halberd, the dull look in his eyes replaced with the same gleam that was present in Riax's. His spine twisted, his waste turned, he raised the halberd upwards. He reached for the same place that his younger brother did, that realm in his own being that would supply him the power to execute a feat normally performed by magic. The red aura engulfed his halberd in an instant. An instant before him slamming the weapon into the ground, the surge of power sending forth a vertical wave of energy.

The explosion was unexpected to say the least, Riax was in the middle of his next attempt at assaulting Slaughter when Jiax's attack hit. The force of which sent him flying backwards. Link, who considered Riax's attack as a distraction, used the time to cut the General's pectorals. But the skin snapped the Ordon sword like a twig, Link recovered in time and jumped backwards to avoid the explosion. As his feet touched down on the soil, he turned towards the origin of the blast and witnessed Jiax running at full speed towards the dust cloud.

A deep growl sounded out from the cloud and Link saw in a separation of the dust that Riax was surrounded by enemy soldiers. Impulsively, he stabbed the Master Sword into the dirt and pulled out two items that he had discovered during his adventure to defeat Zant. Aiming both of the Clawshots into where he believed Riax was, he fired them off and ripped whatever it was that he had connected with out of the cloud. The smoke and dust separated and he realized that the claws had sunk into Riax's shoulders, drawing blood. But the younger brother took advantage of the situation, as he was dragged out of the area. He launched a trio of blasts towards the ambush and Slaughter, each orb consisting of red energy surging with electricity. Riax slid across the ground and Link quickly unhooked the mechanisms in the Clawshots, in his mind, he justified his actions but made a note to apologize later.

"Did you get him?" Link asked as he quickly stored the clawshots and drew his blade from the ground. He took note of his surroundings, the entire battle had turned in the favor of the Hylians. The Gerudo, the Sheikah, the Free, had made a massive difference in the battle. He noticed that the Chaos soldiers were spread thin, the ranks were cut and the main portions of their force was being pushed back. The only thing that would decide this victory was the death of Slaughter.

"Never ask that question." Riax stated before Slaughter bellowed out in pure rage. He jetted out of the cloud after he discarded his now broken sword, charging through Hylian and Chaos alike on a direct head-on collision with Jiax. Both Link and Riax noticed this, but could do little to stop it, he physically overpowered both of them easily. Hylians surrounded them and pushed forward, giving them pair a moment of reprieve. "Damn it." Riax growled.

Jiax continued forward, unwavering in his advancement towards Slaughter. He saw the effects of the attacks that they had sent to him. A large wound on his right side that arched into his shoulder, two severe burns, and multiple red lines reaching across his chest from Riax and Link's attempts. Jiax tightened his grip on the halberd and threw it upwards into the air, a trick that Riax remembered from before they were imprisoned. The elder brother's gaze focused on Slaughter, they both entered a tunnel-vision like mindset with each other as the end goal.

Merely feet away from each other, Slaughter raised his massive right hand, balled it into a fist and brought it down towards Jiax. Being half his size, Jiax looked upwards to see the massive hand coming his direction and responded on a whim. He quickly ducked underneath Slaughter's arm, tightened his own right hand, and dealt a blow directly into his chest. The Holy Bane General was lifted off the ground, and shot backwards as fast as he ran towards him. His chest, disfigured from the fracturing of bones. Jiax knew not to let up, his hand felt the impact and he knew that Slaughter's strength equaled his own. He pressed onward.

When hulk of an enemy landed on the ground, he landed with a force that shook the earth. Gasping for air, Slaughter attempted to rise up but saw Jiax above him attempting to bring down a powerful blow. He rolled to his left flinging smaller beings out of the way avoiding a strike that cracked the ground. Using his right hand, he brought it across, swatting at Jiax who responded quickly by crossing his arms to take the brunt of the attack. The impact was felt in his bones, he could feel each one straining to their peaks to prevent from snapping underneath Slaughter's attack. He wrapped both of his arms around Slaughter's forearm and showed the amazing sight of Slaughter being slammed to the ground.

"Now!" Jiax shouted looking upwards. Slaughter heard what was said and opened his eyes in a furious panic, and he saw what many had missed.

Riax leapt into the air, over one hundred feet above the ground. The red aura surrounding his entire body, he pushed his arms forward augmenting the Sheikah arts with the power both him and his brother shared. What was originally only chains, had now become massive links of metal that ended in even larger spikes. They rained down at speeds unable to be avoided. Slaughter's breath was lost as the first massive chain of many landed across his chest, each one weighing in at his own body weight.

"I'll kill you! I'll. Kill. All of you!" Slaughter roared into the air. He saw a glint in the sky, and watched it descend towards the ground. It fell rapidly and Jiax caught it. "I have failed you, brother. I'm sorry." he muttered

"A waste of time." Jiax, ignoring Slaughter's last words, declared before bringing down the axe end of his halberd on Slaughter's forehead. How deep the weapon lodged itself into the giant's skull was gruesome, the mixture of fluid and matter that splattered around darkened the scene. Riax plummeted from the sky and smoothly landed next to Link who pushed away a crowd of Hylians. He immediately regretted his impatience as he laid eyes on what was left of the face of the Holy Bane General, Slaughter.

The three generals of the Hylian army stood silently, looking down at the remains of Slaughter. None of them looked away as the skin began to corrode and turn to a necrotic black hue, before taking an unnatural tone of darkness and slowly dissolving into the ground. There was a solemn moment, once again. The moment after battle was always this way. The celebration came later, first was the realization that they had survived this battle to participate in another.

"Victory!" A Hylian shouted. The three generals had yet to notice the absence of the rest of the Chaos. Unlike the previous battle, where the Hylian casualties exceeded any amount of joy that could have been experienced. This battle gave off an air of success, they had actually defeated the Chaos. The cheers spread rapidly, Link looked up and saw Riax being carried away by the Hylians and Sheikah. He looked over towards Jiax, who was being lectured by Suna over why she had to threaten him to save his own brother.

These things brought a smile to the Hero's face. His demeanor changed, and things seemed to be brighter.

"Victory." He whispered to himself, loving the way the word rolled off his tongue and out his soul.

"Master General, my unit and other volunteers have chosen to help collect our fallen and help the injured. Take the others and go home, everyone deserves it." Link turned around hearing the feminine voice refer to him by his militaristic title. Before him was Ashei, former member of the resistance, great warrior, and a better friend to Link. They embraced for an extended moment, Link not even realizing that she had joined the army. "Don't say anything, just go back. We'll talk later." She said as they broke away from each other.

"Thank you." He said with a warm smile on his face. He looked around at the celebration that surrounded him, all of this was poorly timed. Much still had to be done. But it was well deserved, anything close to a victory was unimaginable.

The march home was long and tiring, but it was calming. The sober sounds of metal clanking in a uniform step was nothing close to the sounds of battle. Many of the Hylians felt elated at the thought of the three generals who brought down the monster of a man on the battlefield. They would take the stories of what they saw and experienced home and tell them like a legend was being written, and they were fortunate enough to live through the experience.

Link had noted on the way home, that it seemed the Free and the Hylians were closer now. He felt the same way, he had only known the Free Brothers for a few days now. But after fighting by their side, they felt like good friends that have shared a lifetime together. He thought of the irony in that realization, since it could have been the end of their lives. But his joyous mood had dropped the unpleasant thought, and it would never return as they passed through the gates to Hyrule.

All of the events that came afterwards were pleasant and joyful, except for three instances. The realization that Zelda was still in the hands of the Chaos, Midna had locked herself away in her room, and that he had an array of paper work and meetings to attend in the coming days. Link left the continuing celebrations in the city and returned to his bedroom in the castle. The halls of the castle were empty, excluding the sentries that were positioned at every major door way and hall. The amount of security had made him uncomfortable, but he had received the information Midna gave on the assailant that took Zelda. So he understood the need. Upon entering his chambers, the first action he took was to sit down on the bed he was given.

"There's a Twili in the castle, you knew that. Right?" Link jumped forward from his position and reached for his swords, forgetting that he discarded them farther away from his bed. But as his mind recognized the voice, he calmed himself and tried to find the location the Shiekah's location.

"I did, Midna. The princess, she's nothing to worry about." Link said in a calming tone. He looked upwards and saw Riax standing on the ceiling directly above his bed, the red eyes reflecting the little amount of moon light that showed through the windows. In his mind, he began to notice the small details about his companion. In the Temple of Darkness, which he found out was called the Forsaken Prison years ago, he first saw the brothers in a environment in which studying their appearances was untimely. But now, he was able to see what he had not before.

Riax's features, his demeanor, his presence, expressed an animalistic existence. His black hair fashioned like the mane of a lion, the wild and aggressive behavior. All of those things described this person who forsake Hyrule. Riax was not a person of many convictions. Like the name implied, he was of the Free, and they had found something more. Link thought back to Jiax, and noted the differences between them.

"Good." There was a momentary pause. "After the memorial gathering tomorrow, me, Jiax, and a bunch of others are gonna get some drinks. You coming?" Link looked up surprised. Of all the things he had expected, getting asked to go out for some casual drinking time was not on that list. He took a moment to think about his responsibilities and came to the conclusion that the politicians should be able to handle all the things until he returns. It would give him something to do after the speech he agreed to make at the gathering.

"Yeah, that'd be nice." Link said in a bitter-sweet tone.

"Your call, bro. I just made sure you got the invite." Link chuckled. It took a strange kind of person to hold a casual outing after facing down a man that towered over the battlefield. "Oh yeah, sorry about your shoulders." The Hero finished remembering the Hookshots that dug into his companions shoulders."It's all good." After those words, Riax's presence seemed to disappear. Link lowered his head and lost himself in thought. This was not an adventure, it was war, and with war came an entirely different lifestyle.


End file.
